Nightmares and Daydreams
by SorbetLaitier
Summary: Taking place after the conclusion of season 4 and the defeat of Kuvira, this story follows Asami Sato and Avatar Korra's interactions with one another and their attempts to stabilize their respective and combined lives. Told primarily through Asami's perspective with the aid of several flashbacks. Written before the series finale, resulting in a few canon inconsistencies.
1. Chapter 1: Dancing

She remembered seeing the Avatar vaulting through the air. Korra moved at an unnatural speed, launching straight up, only to bank at a violent angle and turn almost ninety degrees. She also remembered thinking that that kind of motion should have broken bones. She could only look on helplessly, seeing the two figures in the air dance like puppets on strings. She wanted to call out, to scream and interrupt the scene, but she couldn't find her voice. Her jaw moved, but nothing managed to escape her lips.

She tried to move. One step forward, reaching out with a hand, trying to close the impossible distance between them. But Korra felt so far away. She was a tiny speck, only visible through squinted eyes. And then, she wasn't anymore. Korra came crashing down, her body twisting as it fell ragdoll onto the hard stone below. Zaheer fell, too, but she wasn't watching him. She didn't care about him. It was Korra she was frightened for.

Her knees felt locked, but she forced herself to move. She ran for what felt like minutes, bolting as quick as she could toward the young Avatar. She'd never reach her in time, not from this distance. Even if she made it, what would she be able to do? She saw Korra fall. She could feel the tremor of the planet shaking, cracking in half when Korra struck it. She felt the crack reaching out from the earth as gnarled fingers, uncaringly breaking her in half with it.

She was too late. Standing over Korra, she could see it as clear as day. Her face looked pale, and she was motionless in the dirt. She felt the buzzing of movement, of other people's blurry forms rotating around herself and Korra. But they couldn't help her either. She stared, unbelieving, at the lifeless body at her feet. The Avatar, she—

Asami awoke suddenly. Her form twisted against the sheets. The motion of her own body startled her, causing her to wrench toward the edge of the bed. A blur of sensations spun around in her head. It was impossible to think. The shock of being pulled from an apparent dream and into reality was always jarring. She tried to turn onto her back and sit up, finding her coordination and strength to be just far enough off that she fell onto her side instead. Slowly, her thoughts started to shed the fog of her dream. She silently focused on the pounding of her heart, caught low in her throat. She then realized she was holding her breath. Her lips separated, letting out a pent-up gasp, and carefully resumed normal breath over several long seconds.

It felt like ten minutes, but Asami finally collected herself in the bed. She was on her stomach, supporting all her weight on her forearms, with her head dipped low enough that her nose touched the blanket below her. She stopped breathing through her mouth, and she could no longer feel adrenaline rushing through her. She could feel strength returning to her limbs. With that knowledge, she pushed herself up and moved into a sitting position. Asami opened and closed her eyes repeatedly. A hand absentmindedly drifted through her raven hair, tugging on a small knot to relieve it. It gave her time to think. And to realize she was shivering. She felt that she must have been sweating in her sleep. She could feel the thin layer of dampness on her arms, causing her to shake as it evaporated.

She was dreaming. Obviously. She always hated the feeling immediately after waking up. In her dreams, everything seemed real. Upon opening her eyes, it was obvious how wrong the few details she still remembered were. The surrounding terrain was completely off. Asami was standing too far away, but could hear everything clearly. Everything was blue, for crying out loud! It would be embarrassing, if Asami didn't already know that everyone suffered from the occasional nightmare.

Asami's mind wandered. While she focused on the details the dream got wrong, the finer details started to escape her. A few seconds ago she felt horrified. And yet, now she could only recall snippets. She was somewhere with Korra, and Korra was hurt somehow; did she hit her head? Korra's dad was there too, or maybe her mother? Tenzin too, and Mako.

"Mako." She scrunched up her nose, twisting it to one side in order to reinforce the disgust she felt. She really didn't hate Mako. If anything, she was glad to have him around, at times. But in times like this, in moments of vulnerability, she found it hard to completely forgive him. She had a hard time letting go the first time. And it was so difficult seeing him lie to Korra when she lost her memory. She felt a sinking in her heart, not just for herself, but because of what he did to Korra. When she heard the two finally broke up for good, she felt so much tension lift from her shoulders that she thought she might cry.

Spatial awareness began to set in. Asami's vision slowly focused, and she found herself staring at the floor. She blinked and sat up, one leg hanging freely off the side of the bed. As her senses pulled inward, she became acutely aware of the uncomfortable sensation in her lower back, and the tingling in both legs. Asami arched her back and curled her naked toes. She couldn't help squint, enjoying the fleeting pleasure that stretching always seemed to offer. She strained the muscles in her legs to their limit, shuddering until finally releasing all the tension in her limbs. This finally led to a hand lifting to hold back a yawn, unsuccessfully.

Asami looked to the window. The shades were drawn, and she could tell it was still dark. She didn't intend to wake up this early. Her green eyes wandered to the mechanical alarm next to the bed. It wasn't set to go off for hours, but more recently she only kept it running to keep from sleeping in and making a poor impression. She knew, though, that she couldn't simply go back to sleep — she never could, once awake.

She pushed all her weight to one side. Her legs swung over the edge of the bed, reaching down to touch the cold floor underneath. Her lavender nightgown drifted around her body as she moved to stand. She needed to test each leg first to make sure it was awake. Satisfied, she wandered in front of the mirror she kept on her wall. She rubbed absently at her eyes, one after the other. She reached for her brush while fluffing her hair with her other hand, but she thought that it could wait. She felt unusually flighty. She could almost feel her legs tugging restlessly, compelling her to move.

Asami walked into the unlit hallway. Her night vision still functioning, she moved with her head down, buttoning her gown. She thought perhaps she could relocate to the back yard and get some fresh air. Maybe it would help take her mind off the dream about her friends. About someone getting hurt — Korra, she believed. She felt a familiar nagging in her head, as though acutely aware that the puzzle she was putting together kept losing pieces.

As she floated down the hallway, her smooth stride broke and her toes tightened on themselves. She felt the grit of something rough on the soles of her feet. Sand, or perhaps tracked dirt. She wanted to scoff, settling on a heavy exhale through her nose. She decided immediately that she'd have to complain to whoever was supposed to tidy the previous day. Her eyes drew narrow, concentrating on the floor long enough to pick out the flecks of dark earth scattered down the hallway. She generally disliked the sensation of dirt underfoot, and she moved with her eyes locked, carefully avoiding each clump. It seemed such an obvious thing to miss that she decided to follow it. She rounded the corner, past the doorway leading into the back yard, to the opening of the kitchen.

"Hmey, Ashami," came a muffled, puffy-cheeked voice. She was concentrating so heavily on the floor beneath her that the sudden ringing in her ears made her heart jump. She very nearly choked on it, and what twisted up through her mouth was a ridiculous mix between a shocked exclamation and the squeak of an elephant rat.

Her eyes were wide with alarm, but they quickly fell on the source of the noise. Her brain pieced together the clues. Tanned skin, blue eyes, short-cropped hair, an unkempt blue and white outfit, exposed shoulders, and muddy boots. She knew immediately who she was looking at, though her stomach decided to twist anyway. The knot persisted, granting her a stronger feeling of relief than she expected. Not just from realizing that it was Korra who snuck into her house and not a thief, but something else as well. She couldn't quite place it.

Asami wanted to regain her composure and greet Korra. She wanted to stand up straight and smile, and then find out why Korra was awake at this hour. But her attention fell onto the expression on Korra's face. Realization slowly crept over Asami. She saw from the woman's elevated cheeks, and the squint in her eyes, that she was suppressing a laugh. She knew instantly that Korra was about to start giggling, no doubt because of the sound Asami just made. It must have been amusing. The silly, girlish, startled chirp.

Asami accepted her fate. She hid her face in a palm, concealing both the smirk on her face and the tint of red on her cheeks. Korra was eating, and called out to her with a mouth full of food. After swallowing it, she started cackling, rocking on the stool she was seated on. Asami let her have her fun, even finding herself cheered up by the Water Tribe girl's energetic laughter. But she had to chime in eventually. She removed her hand from her face, crossing both arms against her chest. She threw a pretend fit, pushing her lower lip outward. "Korra, you scared me!"

"I know," Korra replied. She beamed, apparently proud of herself. She clearly didn't intend to give Asami a start, but she never passed up an opportunity to enjoy a situation. "I didn't mean to."

For some reason, Korra always put Asami at ease. She could never place her finger on it. Korra was very different than the type of people Asami usually associated with, and not just for her tomboyish nature; Asami had her own share of masculine hobbies and interests. Perhaps it was just that Korra never seemed to fully integrate into Republic City. She was her own person, with her own unique personality. She always seemed so willing and able to find happiness in the simplest of activities.

"Well," Asami began, "what are you doing up at this hour, anyway?" As she spoke, Asami pushed away from her position standing in the entryway. She approached Korra, letting her eyes wander to the food the Avatar prepared. She was sitting with a bowl of noodles in a dark broth. It looked and smelled like the cheap kind that Korra asked her to stock. Why would she prepare cheap noodles for breakfast?

"I couldn't sleep," Korra said. She paused long enough to lower the chopsticks from her mouth and fold the wooden implements across the top of her soup. Asami could sense a hint of hesitation in Korra's voice, but the Avatar sometimes had a habit of being quiet about her feelings. "Recently I haven't been able to sleep late. My sleep schedule has gotten kind of erratic."

Asami nodded along to Korra's words. She knew exactly what the younger woman meant. But even if she could relate, she didn't want to trouble Korra with her own stories. Korra had difficulties sleeping for the last three years, as far as she knew. Just the fact that Korra could sleep regularly these days made Asami feel warmer. She felt the fuzziness welling in her fingers and face, and she could tell Korra took notice of her expression because of the way the Avatar elevated an eyebrow.

"And what about you, Miss Sato?" Korra asked in a teasing tone. "It's not like you to be wandering around at this hour, half-dressed." Asami suddenly realized what she must look like. She remembered to button up at least, but she was still walking around barefoot, her hair unbrushed. She became aware of the small tears in the edges of her eyes, residual evidence of her sleepiness. She wasn't wearing makeup, and she could stand to take a bath before having any meaningful human interaction. But she found that it didn't bother her terribly. She knew, innately, that Korra didn't care. Korra was more relaxed, and would never judge her on her appearance. Not seriously, at least. In fact, she started to wonder if Korra was wearing the same clothing as the day before, now that she was paying attention.

"I, um, had a bad dream. It's okay now, though," she finished lamely. Her eyes rolled and turned away, avoiding interaction. She wasn't entirely sure why, though. She found it hard to remember what she even dreamed about. She just thought that she shouldn't be complaining to Korra about dreams. Clearing her throat, she tried to move on to a different topic. "So, why are you having noodles for breakfast?" As she spoke, she found it easy to segue into the new conversation. She started to walk across the kitchen, noticing the mess Korra left on the counter. She apparently prepared lychee juice to drink. "Did you smash berries using bending? You know, I have a machine…" she trailed off.

"Oh, yeah. I just find it easier to do everything myself. And the noodles were quick. Some of the stuff you have in your pantry, I can't ever tell what it's supposed to be." Asami found herself smiling at that. For some reason, she found it calming that Korra could be so content with simple things. Asami grew up on fancy foods and expensive clothing, and she always had someone to prepare things for her. It was refreshing to know Korra was so self-reliant. "Why are you staring at me?" Korra then asked, breaking her concentration. Asami came to, realizing she was staring off into space.

"Sorry, I—" Asami didn't know what to say. She wasn't really staring, but she found it hard to put into words what she was actually thinking. She really didn't want to weird Korra out by waxing poetic about the nature of Korra's like for the simple things in life. So she simply fell back on an earlier thought. "I—I was just noticing you're wearing the same outfit as yesterday."

"Huh? Oh." Korra looked down at herself, raising a hand to pinch a segment of fabric and pull on it, as if testing to make sure it was still there. "Well, I was going to eat, and then do some exercises, and then get cleaned up. I thought it would be silly to change clothes just to get them dirty." Asami found the sentiment charming, if only because she knew Korra wouldn't try to explain herself to anyone else. It flattered her to know that the Avatar most likely only gave a reasoned response because she actually cared about Asami's opinion.

"What exercises? Did you want me to get my arm guards?" Asami asked absently. She thought perhaps they could practice boxing or sparring again.

"I wanted to work on some of my bending stances, actually." It seemed Korra immediately realized she shut Asami down, because her eyes widened and she chimed in with a louder, more rushed voice. "But, I mean, you could watch! Or I guess you could get the pads, and I could do that later."

Asami smiled. "It's fine. I'm still feeling tired. Before I ran into you, I was going to sit outside for some air anyway. Why don't I join you? You can pretend I'm not there."

"All right," Korra quickly agreed.

Asami didn't have to wait long. Korra looked to be finished with her noodles. No doubt they went cold over the course of the conversation. Asami felt a slight itch to clean the table and the kitchen floor. Or, at the very least, wake someone to do it for her. But she let herself be distracted, trying to follow Korra's example of being more relaxed and carefree. Korra would probably sweep the hallway with earthbending later, anyway. Korra wasn't likely to leave the kitchen a mess, even if she could be like a hurricane on arrival.

She followed in the footsteps of the other woman, stopping only to put on a pair of black slippers she kept near the rear doorway. Afterward, she gave chase to the back door and stepped onto the back porch. Finally, fresh air! Asami took the opportunity to inhale a deep breath, taking in the faint scent of flowers and fresh grass. Even with the sun hiding, the view and ambiance calmed her. She could hear insects chirping, droning soft white noise in the background. Korra was already doing stretches, so Asami found a soft patch of grass to sit down on. She pulled her legs in closer to her chest, crossing her arms atop her knees.

Asami watched, making sure not to interrupt once Korra started moving. She began by taking several paces forward, the placement of each foot crossing over the previous step. She held both hands up and in front of herself in a familiar pattern. The position of each arm seemed static, at least until Korra suddenly spun on her heels to reverse direction. She bent her spine and raised one arm overhead, lowering the other closer to her waist. After moving back to her starting position, Korra repeated the entire series of motions over again.

To Asami, Korra's movements looked so fluid and seamless, like the flowing of water. But the more she observed, the more she thought it might be air stances. She quirked the corner of her lip, realizing she found it difficult to tell them apart without the broad and exaggerated motions. She'd seen many of these movements before, but perhaps never committed any of them to memory. She started to wonder if she should try to become more familiar with the stances. It would make it easier for her to defend herself, if nothing else. Not that she generally had trouble with that. Especially if Korra was around too.

She continued to watch Korra's movements. She transitioned from one style to another. As far as Asami could tell, Korra was practicing all four, or maybe even trying to work out a seamless way to move from one to the next. No doubt a unique predicament that only the Avatar would have to worry about. It's unlikely anyone could even teach her about it, and maybe no one even considered it before. It almost seemed impossible to think about. Asami wasn't a bender, and yet her best friend could bend all four elements. The more she watched the change in Korra's steps, the more fascinated she found herself becoming. She finally blurted out what was on her mind, without stopping to think about it. "What's it like?"

Korra was mid-spin, twirling around from a recognizable fire stance and turning on the ball of one foot. She came to a stop, the sudden halt in motion making her clothing and hair attempt to continue in the direction she was rotating. Korra's blue eyes fell on Asami, showing off a perplexed expression. After a pause of silence, Korra spoke up. "What's what like?"

Asami nearly blushed in embarrassment. The question was vague enough to be confusing. Understandable. And it managed to slip from the edge of her idle thoughts and onto her tongue without warning. But at this point she was curious. "It—Bending. What's it like? You know I—I can't."

It was a clumsy way to ask, but Korra seemed to understand the question. She lowered her hands and took only a moment's respite to stretch her back before approaching Asami. Asami's eyes rolled upward, following the approaching Avatar until they were only steps apart. Korra placed her hands on her hips, apparently considering the question more seriously than Asami expected her to. "Well, it's like—bending is an extension of yourself. It's a type of energy you can feel inside… yourself."

Asami stifled a giggle. She listened to Korra fumble her way through the explanation that she knew the younger girl was trying to repeat from memory. No doubt some speech she was given by an earlier teacher. Maybe Tenzin, or someone earlier than that. She realized at once that Korra probably didn't have the best understanding. As the Avatar, bending came naturally to her. Other than the difficulties she suffered picking up air, Korra always struck her as especially gifted. And with the level of natural talent Korra possessed, and her unique personality, she seemed exactly the type of person who would fumble her way through the bending arts without precisely understanding what kind of power she was invoking. It almost seemed like an endearing quality; Korra was just fiery and stubborn enough to pull it off. "No, what's it like?" Asami repeated more clearly. "I know what bending _is_, but what does it _feel_ like? What's it like knowing you can create fire and move water with your hands?"

Korra's stance grew weaker, and Asami could see her slouching. Her shoulders slumped noticeably, and she began to rub the back of her neck with one hand while breaking eye contact. "This is a hard question. I don't—" Asami could tell she stumped the Avatar. Only just now did Asami really put much thought into it. She never viewed her inability to bend as a handicap. She never had trouble defending herself, and even now she felt a calm about the situation. She wasn't jealous, or upset, even if Korra may have been interpreting it that way. And she knew that this may be even harder for Korra to answer, being the Avatar. She was so much more naturally gifted than even the average bender. So coming all the way down to Asami's level and trying to understand it must be difficult. She knew from experience, when Korra's bending was cut off from her, exactly how upset she was. So she began to worry that Korra currently felt sorry for her.

"Can you show me?" Asami asked timidly. She wasn't even sure of herself, or why she had this sudden fascination with the bending arts. Perhaps just seeing and knowing how powerful a bender Korra was. But she'd seen that so many times before.

Showing, instead of telling, seemed easier for Korra to handle. Her pose strengthened, and she lowered her hand from her neck. Her face even brightened at the suggestion. "I can walk you through a few stances if you like."

"I'd enjoy that." Asami uncrossed her arms, putting her weight forward to stand up. After quickly dusting herself off, she turned to notice Korra was offering a hand to help her up, and tried to play it off as something else when left hanging. Asami restrained a chuckle, her eyes squinting enough to show her amusement. "Where should I stand?"

Korra moved her arms more quickly, making motions to usher Asami around her. She gestured back to where she previously stood, and started to follow Asami when she moved, close on her heels. Once they returned to position, Korra stood beside her, head turned to check that she was mimicking her stance. "What do you want to try?"

"The sun is coming up, and a lot of my family did come from the Fire Nation colonies. Why don't we try a fire set?" she suggested.

"Okay." Korra gave a short nod of her head before moving fluidly into a different stance. This time she stood with her legs wide apart, one forward and one back. She leaned her weight forward, with one hand raised in front of her, with the other held back. From the side, she looked like an X. Her motion was intentionally gradual, and Asami found herself harboring a smile when she realized Korra didn't have to be told to take it slow. Once Asami followed the stance, Korra moved again. Taking a full step forward, she brought the arm from behind her forward and up, while her other arm crossed underneath it and parallel to her chest. Asami repeated the same motion, prompting Korra to increase her speed as she turned carefully on her feet, now facing the opposite direction with the same stance. Asami followed. Lastly, Korra turned around once more to swing her arm widely in front of herself with the twist. Asami once again gave chase.

Upon completion of the turn, Korra returned to the original stance and repeated it. Asami was able to keep up, noticing that Korra naturally moved faster and faster each time. She almost felt giddy at their unspoken communication. She didn't have to say a word to have Korra increase the pace each time she caught up. With four more full rotations, Asami found herself outpacing Korra, having to slow down and recognize that the two were actually moving at the standard speed of the routine, and Korra no longer needed to make adjustments. Asami knew at this point that her cheeks were glowing from an increase in temperature. She felt a strange sensation across her body, almost like a faint numbing tingle. She felt a pleasant pressure in her stomach, too. Slightly pained, but filling her with energy nonetheless. She wondered if that feeling was what benders felt all the time.

She couldn't help notice Korra was going through the motions with her eyes closed at this point. Asami, however, couldn't keep her eyes off her friend as they went through the steps at least fifteen more times. She thought that they might be able to do this forever, and she didn't want to interrupt it. But she could feel the increase in her heart rate. No doubt the exercise wound her up, causing her to exhale heavily, even though the steps weren't strenuous at all. She decided to break the silence after sighing. "It's like a dance."

Korra's eyes opened, refocusing on the taller woman. The twinkle in the Avatar's expressive eyes showed she enjoyed the company. "It's very much like a dance, actually. This is the Dancing Dragon."

"I've heard of that before. I didn't know this was it," she said breathlessly, continuing into another rotation, still in sync with Korra.

"Well, you're a good dancer. We should do this again sometime."

Asami wanted to appreciate the compliment, but she felt herself becoming lightheaded. She slowed to a stop and lowered her arms.

It only took Korra one more step to cease her dancing and turn to address her friend. "Are you all right, Asami?" Korra asked, concerned.

Asami took two steps, now facing away from Korra. She raised a hand, clutching it to her chest while making a more dramatic exhale. "Yes." She felt an elevation of her heartbeat and her temperature. Perhaps she wasn't paying enough attention to her breathing. Or maybe she should have stretched first. "Sorry, I—I think I'm still tired. The nightmare I had, it wore me out."

Korra approached, placing a hand onto Asami's shoulder. The touch drew her attention, and she turned to address the young Avatar. Her body felt warmer now, and she could feel the knot of pressure upon her stomach. It felt more strained now than it was before. She felt as though she overexerted herself with the exercises. But Korra picked up the apparent lost look on her face and tried to chime in. Perhaps out of concern for her friend, but Korra was more willing to speak about her thoughts now. "You know I know what it's like to have nightmares. If you need someone to talk to—"

"I'll be fine. I don't even remember what it was about," she said truthfully. Korra seemed to believe her. But now that the topic was breached, Asami thought to press on it. Getting Korra to open up was usually a mixed bag. She never knew if it would work or not, but she wanted to be able to provide support for her best friend. "But how are you doing? Have you had any lately? Anything you want to talk about?"

"No," Korra replied. Her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of sternness. Either she didn't have anything worth bringing up, or she didn't want to talk about it.

Asami's inability to decipher which it was caused a long, awkward silence between them. Asami found herself shuffling her feet, knocking her knees together. She even found herself gazing off into the distance, appreciating the sun that was nearly in complete view at this hour. Eventually, the eerie silence broke when Asami's stomach started to protest. It growled as if it had been forgotten for ages. The interruption made both girls start laughing, defeating the quiet that lingered, and restored both of them to a brighter mood. "I suppose I should get something to eat," Asami said. She decided that the knot she felt in her stomach was hunger pains.

"I could make you something," Korra offered helpfully. She looked more chipper now. Hopefully having moved past the topic of dreams, Korra was now devoting her attention to the idea of food.

"Someone always makes me something," Asami replied matter-of-factly, though she tried to make sure her tone of voice indicated she wasn't really complaining. "I'd rather go out to eat anyway. There's a place near Kwong's that I'd like to visit."

"That sounds great!" Korra cut in.

Asami found amusement in the apparent self-invitation. She adopted a sly expression, crossing her arms in order to take a more authoritative stance. "I'd love to invite you, but didn't you just eat?"

"Sure, but I could eat again," Korra said dismissively. Asami did know the Avatar to put away more calories than she tended to expect. Though, Korra got enough exercise that it didn't seem to be a problem. Asami definitely couldn't complain when Korra was in better shape than she was. "Are you going to be going in your pajamas?"

Asami twisted her nose, wrinkling and wiggling it in a way that made Korra take notice and even chuckle at it. She entirely forgot that she was still wearing her nightgown. "Of course not! Let me get cleaned up first."

Korra let out an exaggerated sigh, throwing her arms into the air to let them fall and slap against her thighs. She was clearly aiming for maximum dramatic effect. "Oh, man, that'll take an hour!"

Asami couldn't restrain a laugh. She knew Korra was trying to rile her up. Ever since the two met, Korra tried to occasionally slip in comments about Asami being overly feminine. Korra usually dressed for comfort, and didn't often bother with makeup. Asami couldn't help it if she liked to take the extra time. "I'll try and be quick. You need to get changed, too." Asami made sure to keep several Water Tribe outfits on hand for occasions like this one. "I'll meet you back here. In an hour." The two exchanged smirks before parting ways.

Korra was very nearly out of earshot when Asami turned to yell across the mansion. "Oh, and make sure not to wear anything loose!"


	2. Chapter 2: The Desert

Alone in her room, Asami took the time to unwind and begin to mentally assess where to begin. She moved to the closet, pulling it completely open with some effort. She stopped and waited in front of a selection of clothing, mostly in shades of black and dark red. An idle thought crossed her mind, about how her dark clothing tended to contrast Korra's light. But she was too preoccupied with sorting through a series of skirts to linger on it. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, her thin brow furrowing in concentration. With some indecisiveness, she settled on a black skirt with nice gold buttons, then moved on to picking out a matching long-sleeve coat and a top to go underneath it. She wandered back to the bed, tossing the articles on the unmade blankets.

Next, she'd have to decide on the accessories to go with the outfit. She picked over a series of boots, finally agreeing on a pair of ankle-high black suede with a slight heel. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, wondering if the added height would make it easier to tease Korra about being shorter. Once she made up her mind on the boots, she selected a pair of gloves and tights in matching colors, tossing the entire collection on the bed.

Asami then moved into the connected washroom. With towels already available, she moved to start the flow of water and attempted to adjust the heat to something enjoyable. She sat, silently, waiting several seconds before testing it with a hand, only to wrench it away quickly. "Ouch!" she squeaked. She thought the water nearly burned her, though it was more that it just startled her with the unpredictable amount of heat. She tapped at the gauge with a finger, trying to fine-tune the temperature. She'd have to get around to inventing a better warm water delivery system at some point.

While waiting for the water to adjust, she sat long enough to remove her slippers and began to unbutton the nightgown. She found she had time to think about the day's events thus far, having started with the nightmare. Only bits and pieces remained at this point. All she could remember was that Korra was there, and the large amount of dirt, or maybe it was sand? She tried to let her mind wander, but it returned to the same topic again. She hummed to herself, realizing she was thinking about Korra an awful lot lately. Of course, Korra was one of the only people she spent any time with. Mako and Bolin were her friends as well, though she did mostly spend time with them in concert with Korra. She thought briefly about Tenzin and some of the others, though again, she likely wouldn't know any of them if it not for Korra.

She found herself frustrated, her mind refusing to concentrate on anything else. She supposed she might be as equally preoccupied with any other person or subject if it was as much a part of her life as Korra is now. Before her, it was simply her work and research. No, if she was being honest with herself, there was also a time when nearly all she thought about was Mako. But that was years ago. And now all she could think about was the dream about Korra in the sand. She wasn't certain, but she started to wonder if the dream was about the time the two found themselves trapped in the Si Wong desert. It was certainly a possibility; she did, after all, think about the incident numerous times in the past, considering how dangerous it was at the time.

Stepping out of her robe, she moved into the stream of water, now at a tolerable temperature. It was a comforting sensation, the warm water helping put her in a more relaxed state. It was nice to finally have an opportunity to enjoy some silence and have a moment to think about things. She found that the droning of pouring water began to fade into the background, and she finally found some much-needed calm.

Asami didn't recall all the details. Escaping the desert was no easy task, but she did find it a rare opportunity to work with Korra. It was around that time that she remembered being able to spend more time with Korra and become better friends. Before then, she experienced a lingering feeling of rivalry with the Avatar. They did previously date the same person, even if they both eventually agreed that it wasn't the best decision either of them ever made. Asami wasn't sure why, but she never found herself blaming Korra for the taxing love triangle they found themselves in with Mako. Mako flip-flopped about dating both girls, on more than one occasion, and his actions were what caused all of the turmoil.

By the time the two crash-landed in the desert, Asami found herself getting along well with Korra. They had already been dealing with Zaheer and his allies, putting both of them in danger alongside Mako and Bolin. Fleeing from the group with a meditating Korra, being captured, escaping — she found all of it strangely energizing. Definitely not the danger part of it; she could probably go the rest of her life without being put through anything like that again and be perfectly content. But being able to work as a team with Korra, and see just how well they could cooperate and coordinate was a nice change of pace.

In the Si Wong desert, Asami attempted to fix the airship and get it running again, and Korra trusted her to be able to do so. Trust from Korra became something she took for granted. Even early on, Korra never accused Asami of siding with the Equalists, and saw fit to warn her about what her father had been planning. She didn't believe Korra at first, but even back then Korra was on her side, and always had been.

Once the airship repairs proved fruitless due to the sandshark monster's attack nearly destroying the entire ship, Asami once again came up with an idea to escape the desert, and Korra once again didn't hesitate to help execute the plan. In fact, Korra was essential to the success of the plan. Benders and nonbenders working together toward a common goal; Asami's father would've hated it.

As she remembered it, Korra even made peace with their previous captors once at the Misty Palms Oasis. That was another trait she admired in the Avatar; Korra often expressed the feeling that she failed to be a proper "bridge" between people or spirits, and that she possessed little ability to properly bring peace through negotiation. But Asami saw her do so on several occasions, even if force was more frequently their primary means of getting things done. Asami was never a very social person. Before meeting Mako and the Avatar crew, Asami knew very few people. Primarily just those around her at her father's company. When they reunited with Korra's father, Lin, and Lord Zuko, Korra attributed their escape from the desert to Asami. That was the kind of person Korra had always been to Asami: a selfless woman who wants desperately to help as many people as she can. Even if that meant putting herself in danger.

Because of Korra, Asami tried to strive to be a little more selfless and fight alongside her as much as she could. This mindset cemented in her due to the events following the desert escape. It was then that the group found out what Zaheer had in mind. He wanted Korra so badly that he was prepared to destroy the entire rebuilt Air Nation to get to her. And Korra, even knowing it would be a trap, agreed to surrender if it meant she could protect others.

During that time, her admiration for Korra had been growing. She found herself wanting more and more to let Korra know that she was there to lend her support. She just never knew an appropriate way to express it. It always seemed to Asami like the one thing Korra needed the most was a solid foundation of allies. And while her foundation grew during that time, Korra still always seemed to feel isolated and helpless. The anxiety over trying to protect the Air Nation led Korra to try and confront Zaheer in the spirit world — anything she could do to help. Asami immediately offered to watch over her, wanting to assist in any way she possibly could.

She followed Korra to the place of meditation. Yet another thing that Korra had going for her was her spirituality. Asami knew that Korra struggled with it early on, in the same way she wrestled with learning airbending. But compared to a normal person, Korra's spirituality was incredible. Asami hated watching Korra believe herself to be a failure. She shouldered so many responsibilities, and was burdened with so many things to know and master. It was all beyond what Asami could comprehend, and she couldn't help feel as though it was unfair for Korra to have to suffer through it all. She really needed… someone.

Asami stayed silent as Korra sat down. If nothing else, the quiet meditation would be a change of pace from the last few days. Asami appreciated the opportunity to rest quietly while Korra projected herself elsewhere. She thought briefly that it was nice to be able to enjoy a break, though she also recognized that Korra never stopped for one. She was still working tirelessly, even now.

Asami sighed. "I know you can't hear me," she began. She allowed silence to set back in, pausing for several long seconds. In some small part of her mind, she expected Korra to open her eyes again and ask her to keep it down. So she probed, only speaking the short sentence to make sure Korra was completely focused. "But I wanted to thank you. For a lot of things. For everything, really."

Asami felt restless. With Korra sitting in front of her, eyes closed, breathing slowly, Asami felt the opposite. She could feel her pulse quickening, and she began to pace. She made her path a large circle, walking around Korra with brisk steps. "I know that the first person out of us that I met was Mako. But if it hadn't been for you, when he and I broke up, I probably would have just moved on and went back to my father."

She paused, noticing that it was hard to speak. It was difficult to find her voice, and clearly convey her message. But it helped to be able to talk, even if Korra wasn't actually listening. "I guess it's also true Mako may not have broken up with me if not for you. But I can't say. The only thing I can say for sure is that you rescued me. My father, I don't think I could have stood up to him by myself. I wasn't—"

She resumed pacing, staring at the ground and looking at her nervously rattling knees. While she walked, she elevated her hands into her hair, pulling on handfuls of it and tossing it. Absentmindedly, she started to pull on it and play with it. Something of a nervous tick, unconsciously broadcasting her current vulnerabilities. "I wasn't strong enough. Not without friends like you, Mako, and Bolin. I know we didn't get along as well as we could have, but I really hope we're past that now. I've never really had friends before. My dad always seemed cautious about letting me stray too far. I guess I should have noticed a change in his behavior when he started letting me have more freedom. But I was just so glad to have others I could spend time with."

"I'm really glad I've been able to help you, the way you helped me. Being able to help you with your mission to rebuild the Air Nation, it's something I never would've even dreamed of being a part of before. It's just something I find really impressive about you. You don't hesitate to help others. You're really great, Korra. Amazing!"

Asami stopped again, allowing a heavy sigh to pierce the calm air once her speech concluded. She turned on her feet, returning her eyes to inspect Korra. She wanted to make sure the Avatar wasn't awake and listening to her prattle on and on. She'd probably appreciate the compliment, but poke fun. She wasn't sure she'd enjoy that right now. Instead, she wanted to be able to get everything off her chest.

"I know you sometimes don't think you're good enough, or that your decisions aren't the right ones. But you stopped the Equalists, and Unalaq, and you're going to beat Zaheer, too. I believe in you, and not just because you're the Avatar, but because you're a good person. I know you're going to find a way to deal with this, and everyone's going to be okay. For all I know, you've already beaten Zaheer in the spirit world."

She paused at that, letting the words linger in the air before melting. She hoped Korra was okay. There was no way to check, no way of knowing. Maybe she already won and was trying to secure him. Maybe she still was still looking for him. Maybe they were still fighting. But she couldn't bring herself to imagine that Korra lost. It just couldn't happen.

"I don't want anything to happen to you. I know how important your role is, and I know how willing you are to put yourself in danger to help others. I understand that. I just don't want to see you get hurt. You don't—you don't deserve that. I wish I could do more, if it meant you'd be safer."

Asami lowered her eyes, reflecting on her thoughts for a time. Eventually, she walked forward to return to Korra's side. She bent her knees, sitting down on the ground. Easing her legs in closer, she rested her arms upon her knees, and her chin on her crossed arms. "I guess that's everything I wanted to say. Thank you."

And just like that, Korra's eyes opened. She blinked several times, readjusting to the light around her and the scenery. Asami hesitated only a moment, heart pounding in her chest, hoping once more that Korra didn't actually hear the things she said. Or if she did, that she didn't intend to make it into a joke. She deeply enjoyed the times they were able to tease one another and be able to laugh about it, but she expressed too many pent-up feelings to want to be made fun of this time.

"Did you find Zaheer?" Asami asked cautiously.

"No, he wasn't there," Korra replied. She turned her head, looking Asami in the eye. "But there's someone I need to talk to."

The daydream began to fade. Asami's consciousness returned to her, and she realized she had simply been standing under the water flow for several minutes. With a downward glance, she noticed her fingertips starting to wrinkle. She reached out to the faucet and shut off the water.

Asami stepped free of the tub, reaching down to pluck two towels free of the nearby racks. She dried herself with one, and her hair with the other. After folding a towel around herself, she walked back into the adjacent room while vigorously drying her long hair. Once finished with the task, she discarded the towel onto the counter and stopped to stand in front of the mirror. She plucked her brush from nearby and began to run it through her hair.

She stared blankly at herself in the mirror while brushing her hair. Over three years passed since the Avatar dealt with Zaheer, and since she expressed all of her thoughts and emotions to have them fall on deaf ears. Even now she experienced difficulty explaining that Korra was one of the only friends she'd ever had, and by a fair margin the best friend she'd ever known.

Asami was under a great deal of stress over the last few years. She knew that her own difficulties were nothing compared to those faced by Korra. But she still couldn't bear the possibility of losing her best friend. The three year absence was challenging enough.

Her hair properly styled, Asami set the brush back down. She turned to address the pile of clothing behind her, carefully laid out on the bed. She picked through each article and began to get dressed after placing the second towel alongside the first. She put on the tights first, then the skirt and the black top. She left behind the jacket and gloves, returning to the mirror once half-dressed. She pulled open a drawer, sifting through the contents to locate a small container with different colors and styles of makeup. She placed the box in front of the mirror, popping it open and catching the initial stinging scent of powder and other cosmetics.

She set immediately to work, smoothing out the areas around her cheeks and along her nose with a spongy implement. Next, she picked up a colored utensil, removing the cap and working over the tops of her eyes. She carefully worked in a light purple shadow, trying to keep it from being too dark and therefore distracting. She always worked off the philosophy that one should pick a single feature and accentuate it, and Asami tended to select her lips. Although, she had been told she had lovely eyes in the past.

"I imagine," she found herself saying aloud, "that Korra would find this entire process wholly unnecessary. She turned to drop the pencil back into the case, making a sharp rattling sound when it fell into place. "I envy that degree of self-confidence." She finished by plucking one last tool from the box, applying a vibrant red color to her lips. Afterward, she batted her eyes and smacked her lips to make sure everything was in order. She folded the box back into its place and shut the drawer.

Now that she was finished with the difficult part, she returned bedside. She lifted and slipped the expensive coat over her shoulders, wiggling her fingers through the ends of the long sleeves. The shoes came next, lifting one foot after the other to the corner of the bed to slip them on. Lastly, the gloves, stretching tightly over her fingers. She inspected herself quickly in the mirror, leaning to one side and swaying as if about to fall over. She hummed in appreciation of her ensemble. "Hopefully Korra is ready to go by now," she mused. She elevated a small, sleek container from the nearby counter toward her neckline, creating a spritz of mist. The scent was lightly floral and just sweet enough to catch the nose. She set the bottle back down and turned to leave.

Her boots carried her across the hardened floor. The heels made an audible thump along the ground with each step, at least until she adjusted her pace and lightened her step to keep it from being a bother. She walked with a speedy shuffle, ready to return to the main area and reunite with Korra. That, and she was growing more energetic by the minute. Perhaps the promise of food lent her more motivation.

Once she rounded the corner, she slowed her steps. Her eyes examined the floor in the hallway leading toward the kitchen. Her vision darted left and right, looking for traces of the dirt that "someone" tracked into the mansion beforehand. She adopted an appreciative smile after being completely unable to find any remaining evidence. As expected, Korra did pick up after herself. That also meant she already returned.

A few steps later, Asami broke through into the kitchen. She came to a complete stop upon seeing Korra seated at the compact table in the middle of the open area. Korra managed to pick out an attractive outfit. Somewhat more feminine than her usual fare, though it still looked like it belonged. It was a nice change of pace.

She hovered in the entrance to the hallway for a few seconds more, until she was finally recognized. Korra sat up to greet her, and Asami took notice of her demeanor. Korra certainly looked more chipper than usual, which was a good sign. It made Asami respond in kind, brightening her outlook and her expectations for the remainder of the day.


	3. Chapter 3: Korra of the Water Tribe

_Swish, swish, swish!_ Korra stood in front of a mirror, staring at herself while scrubbing her teeth with the tiny brush designed for such a task. She was fresh out of the shower, wrapped neatly in a blue towel. For the moment, her attention fixated on the tooth brush. It differed fundamentally from the type of brushes used in the South Pole, and though she since switched to this sort since coming to Republic City, she still wasn't used to it. She plucked it from her mouth to inspect it closer. It had a more defined and purposeful shape to it, unlike the tools from her home that were usually designed out of necessity. It was intentionally easy to hold and to use. Asami had a word for that. Ergo-something? She couldn't remember.

Korra spit into the sink, following it up with a cup of water. She found herself lingering by the faucet, resting both arms on the countertop. She needed to get up and finish getting dressed, but there was plenty of time before Asami would be ready. Plus, she felt a sudden vacuum of motivation. She didn't want to move, or have to think too much. Maybe it was the mansion. She'd grown more used to it over time, but she always thought it lacked coziness. It felt big and empty, not much like home at all. Even Air Temple Island was smaller, with a simple charm to it.

She thought for a time that she must suffer from whatever the opposite of claustrophobia was called. Maybe there was a word for that, but she didn't know it. Asami probably knew. Korra just knew that long periods of time in the mansion tended to keep her from completely relaxing. Being tucked away in this room made it easier, so she was in no hurry to leave. Once her mind finished wandering, she was left in the silence, looking to her reflection in the mirror. She showcased a pouty expression, her eyes half-lidded, gazing with complete disinterest.

She sat up. Her hands pushed down, catching the edge of the counter so she could lean closer. Her head cocked to one side, and she focused her attention straight on the Korra in the mirror. She opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out as far as it would go, and making a sound similar to, "Myeh!" The mirror Korra mimicked her face, so she quickly changed it. Korra raised both hands, holding them to the sides of her head and pulling down on her lower eyelids. At the same time, she scrunched her chin, exposing her teeth to herself in the mirror. After the second face, she made another, and another, until she started chuckling at her reflection and came to a stop. She merely smiled, striking a pose and pointing at the glass to issue a statement to no one. "I'm onto you." With that important task complete, she turned in place and paraded to the closet.

Korra found herself face to face with a large selection of Water Tribe clothing. Asami went out of her way to keep a variety of different outfits in stock, each one in Korra's size. She was dumbfounded trying to take inventory of the array of options. The outfits ranged from summer to winter wear, hunting, hiking, swimming; there was even a collection of formal robes and gowns. Korra never had this sort of availability before, and with it staring her in the face, she didn't know what to do with it.

She finally decided to put a hand over her eyes. She reached blindly to an outfit and pulled it free of its hanging. When she reopened her eyes to assess the choice, it struck her more as something that Katara might wear. The outfit was primarily blue with a thin white outer trim; a furless design, intended for warmer seasons. The sleeves were short, though the lower half extended further down into what amounted to a knee-length skirt. Korra shrugged to herself. "As good as anything else." She threw the outfit over her shoulder, letting it crumple into a pile on the bed.

She next tried to pick out boots. As far as she could tell, the only real option was black or brown. Some had fur along the tops, and the lengths were different, but they barely seemed to matter. She picked up two different sets, only realizing upon very close inspection that they did vary in style and shape. One pair sported a thicker sole, with the second pair displaying an exaggerated lip in the front. She sighed to herself and discarded the pair in her left hand, keeping the other set with the heavier base. She returned to the bed, discarding the wet towel to the floor, and started to get dressed by flopping the selected clothing over her head and tugging it down.

After pulling the boots on, Korra planted both feet firmly on the ground and bent her knees several times. She made a short hop, then took three steps in either direction to make sure they fit properly. Once satisfied, she finished the outfit by pulling on the white cloth around her middle, adjusting it and finally tying it off to serve as a belt.

Now fully dressed, Korra returned to the mirror to give herself a final inspection. She realized that she forgot to address her hair, and although she immediately considered leaving it as-is, she opted to brush it instead. She picked over the collection of instruments along the counter and in connected drawers. Several of the items had an unknowable purpose to Korra, though she did pass over a large powder puff, smirking at the memory of stumbling into one in Asami's house several years ago and making a mess out of it. There were all different kinds of makeup available, some for eyes and some for lips. She possessed a mild curiosity, but would need to practice it some other time. She could only imagine the look on Asami's face if she showed up with poorly-applied lipstick. She resumed her original task, locating a brush and doing her best to straighten out her hair.

Korra stopped long enough to look herself over one more time. She looked presentable, in her opinion, and she thought that she did a fine job keeping her hair organized. The clothing she picked out didn't look that bad once she squeezed into it. She felt a boost of confidence, and even struck one last pose in front of the mirror before turning away. She swooped low enough to pick up the towel, and returned to the washroom to collect her dirty clothes. Once gathered, she finally relocated to the door, crossing through it and back into the main hallway.

Korra took a detour on her way back to the kitchen. She wound down a separate hallway in order to drop off the clothing and the towel in a series of baskets. Asami employed people who did the cleaning for her, and while Korra was initially hesitant to utilize such services, Asami assured her it was okay.

Leaving the laundry area, Korra's wandering returned her to the kitchen. Now that the sun was up, she easily caught sight of the dried mud tracks along the floor. She halted in front of it, stretching a hand up to rest on the back of her neck. It took only a minimal assessment to conclude that she probably tracked it in earlier. She walked around the mess, to the side door leading outside, giving it an opening push with one hand. Korra's feet then moved and planted in a wide stance. She brought both hands forward and made a swift motion. The first motion caused all the crumbles of dirt to slide along the floor and collect against the wall. A second thrust with one hand then moved all the mud toward a single pile in front of the doorway. And a third wave of her hand threw the entire mass back outside and into the grass where it belonged.

Korra lingered a while after. She waited in front of the door, eventually crossing her arms and tapping a foot. Asami said they'd meet back here, but did she really intend to take a whole hour? She took to pacing, walking outside and making a quick trip around the yard to make sure the nonbender wasn't looking for her elsewhere. After looping back to the mansion, she re-entered the kitchen and stood near the central counter. While her eyes wandered in boredom, she noticed she also previously left behind dishes and trash, quickly collecting it up and putting it away so as not to leave a mess. She might be careless, but not a slob.

Five minutes passed, and then another ten. Korra made her way to the nearest table and slumped forward on crossed arms, laying her chin on the bonier part of her wrist. In her boredom, she took to bobbing her head up and down, and started drawing an invisible lion turtle on the table with a fingertip when Asami finally appeared.

Korra sat up to greet her. She wore a new outfit, though Korra always knew Asami to have a remarkable fashion sense and find new and interesting things to show off each day. Her typical attire was black and red, and today was no exception. Asami had some way of doing her hair that made it mostly straight with only a mild wave, other than a small twisting curl on her left side. Korra never actually asked if that was intentional.

Besides her physical appearance, Asami certainly appeared brighter. She didn't look as drained as an hour ago. She was now standing up straighter, with a more cheerful, content expression on her face. Korra used the opportunity to return a smile and exchange playful pleasantries. She elevated a hand quickly, resting straightened fingers against her forehead in a salute. "Miss Sato."

"Avatar Korra," Asami shot back with a mocking, militaristic tone. Both girls laughed. Once the noise died down, Asami's weight shifted into a more relaxed stance, with one hand on her waist. "Are you ready to go?"

"I've been ready," Korra replied. "Let's do it!"

Korra stood to follow once Asami started outside. She gave chase with a casual stroll, taking in the sights of outside again. She walked in a more relaxed state, raising her arms behind herself, intertwining her fingers to rest both hands against the back of her head. She briefly watched Asami from the back, swearing that she was somehow taller. Her face contorted into mild scowl, mentally scolding whoever was in charge of making other girls taller than her. Asami was already winning and didn't need any more help.

Lost in her thoughts, Korra nearly bumped into Asami when the other woman came to an abrupt stop. Korra lowered her arms and settled into a standing position at her side. She took a long look around the immediate vicinity before casting a confused look in Asami's direction. "Why'd we stop? I don't see your car." She wasn't paying any attention to where she was going due to the lack of Satomobiles in her peripheral vision.

"It's being worked on, so we're going to take my bike today." Asami pointed to the small vehicle in front of herself.

Korra's vision panned down, only just noticing it. A small but sleek two-wheeled cycle, with more flat and solid surfaces than the more exposed parts she was used to seeing. The outer coating was a dark red. As nice as the bike looked, Korra couldn't help state the obvious. She shifted her legs wider apart and thrust both hands forward in emphasis, her face showing bewilderment. "That thing is way too small, and way too scary to carry both of us!"

Korra's expression softened into one of faint embarrassment when Asami began to laugh. She didn't look to take the criticism seriously, instead moving to the motorcycle's side and picking up two helmets. "I'm not going to make you drive, and there's room for two."

Despite a skeptical look, Asami handed one of the helmets to Korra anyway. She took it, though she couldn't help feel ignored. "Those things are noisy, and bumpy, and—"

Asami's upward glance silenced Korra. She didn't look frustrated, but Korra still didn't want to cause her to be. "It's not so bad once you get used to it. You ride on Naga all the time. And on airships, and you fly around with your glider. You're the Avatar! Don't tell me you're afraid of a little motorcycle."

"I'm not afraid," Korra muttered out of the side of her mouth. She looked back and forth from the helmet to the bike, and then back up to Asami. Asami displayed a sunny glow on her face. She was good at staying chipper when Korra felt down. In defeat, Korra waved a hand at the bike. "What do I need to do?"

In answer, Asami turned, fitting the helmet on top of her head, though a great deal of her hair still sticking wildly out from the lower edge. She reached down to grasp the handlebars and swung one leg over the bike to settle onto the cushioned seat. The application of weight caused the bike to bounce once on its wheels before settling. Korra noticed the minuscule amount of room on the back end of the bike, behind Asami, and already knew what was going to be said next and prepared a verbal protest for it. "Just get on the back. There's enough room, trust me."

Korra found it hard to argue, and she had already been talked out of being afraid of the machine. She raised the helmet over her head and carefully put it on. She became aware she was stalling when Asami shot her a glance after she took extra time to wiggle it side to side, as if to make sure it fit absolutely perfectly.

She stepped in closer with a sigh and proceeded to hop on the back. She realized partway up that the knee-length outfit she ended up with was not ideal to riding a bike. This was most likely the reason Asami warned her against wearing anything loose. She found it awkward enough that she knew her cheeks must have been glowing red. But she did eventually manage to fold the fabric forward enough that she could fit on the bike. Even if she was forced to increase the amount of leg she showed by a degree. Once satisfied, she leaned back and clutched what looked like a handhold on the rear of the cycle.

"You're going to have to hold onto me," Asami said from the front. Korra wasn't too surprised by the statement. It was sometimes a necessity when Naga carried more than one person. But she did feel as though she had less room and would have to sit uncomfortably close to do so. She followed the instruction, though, and slipped both hands around Asami's waist.

"Are you ready?" the taller woman asked.

"No." She probably never would be.

"Better hold on, then!" Asami revved the engine hard and loud. Korra gritted her teeth and clung tightly to the other. All her weight leaned into Asami's back as the vehicle lurched forward. She could feel the sudden pressure and momentum against her body, making her stomach sink quickly. She shut her eyes.

The next few seconds were in total blindness. She was left with only the sensation of movement and the roaring motor to fill her senses. With the sun brightly shining in the sky, even her tightly-clenched eyelids were letting through a bright red coloration. So, reluctantly, she began to open her eyes. At first all she could see was the back of Asami's helmet. She moved in so close that they were very nearly butting heads. She shuffled in place and turned her head to one side, looking out past the length of her nose and at the scenery speeding by.

Korra saw the smooth line of the street cutting through rows of grass and the occasional tree. It whirred past as if she was riding on Naga, although with much less up and down. The ride appeared to be smoother, more like riding in a car. The hints of a forming grin showed on Korra's face while the initial adrenaline shock started to wear off. She finally began to appreciate the sights.

The sound of the engine soon drifted off into nothingness. Korra's eyes were now darting from one sight to the next. She tried to read signs, and to catch a glimpse of people and animals moving in the distance. She inhaled deeply, catching the mixture of outdoors and the more industrial smell of the moving vehicles. She also picked up a much more pleasant scent, something closer to flowers, even though it was more concentrated and consistent to be something they merely passed. It took several seconds before she realized it must be Asami's perfume she was catching, sitting so close to her. It was nice.

The rapid motion and the sweet smell allowed her mind to drift. The steady background blur felt familiar enough to many previous rides, though she was now thinking of a specific incident. She thought of rare flowers set out on a table as she was hurriedly sneaking through the front door of her home. She was much younger then, during her initial training, and had become frustrated from an earlier fight. She didn't remember the argument at this point, only that she became fed up and decided to run away.

In the memory, she snuck out of her house at midday, when no one was watching. Korra quickly made her way to where Naga slept, and hushed the polar bear dog while retrieving her saddle. Korra swiftly attached it, and Naga was already wagging her tail in anticipation of being taken out for a ride. Korra hopped fluidly up into the saddle and ushered Naga to the open entryway.

The initial escape was the most important part. The quick bolt away from the buildings and civilization and out into the vast fields of snow. Once she and Naga were out of sight, she'd be free to do whatever she wanted. After checking her surroundings, she leaned forward in the saddle, tightly clutching the ropes to direct Naga into a full run. "Go, girl, go!" Naga dug her paws into the snow to gain traction on the ground underneath, leaning all of her weight into a sudden burst of speed.

Korra felt the cold air on her face, blowing over her cheeks and through her hair. It was longer back then. Harder to manage, but it felt good in the wind. She gritted her teeth too, holding her breath for the several tense seconds it would take to escape eyesight of anyone who might catch her running away from home. Her pulse was steady and strong, her heart sunk low in her chest.

Naga finally broke through, crossing the outer boundaries of the landscape and sliding down the opposite side of a snowy hill. Korra was acutely aware of the tightness in her muscles being alleviated. She began to grow calmer, now far enough away that no one could stop her. She made a motion with her hands, allowing Naga to slow her pace and continue along. Korra had no real direction or intention. She just wanted to get away. Too much to think about, too many responsibilities. She knew, of course, that Aang did the same thing in his youth. Katara told her all about it. She knew how he felt. While Korra usually felt a lot of pride in being the Avatar, the pressure was sometimes too much to deal with. She needed to get away. Maybe find another place to study, and another way to fulfill her duties.

Korra's lack of direction carried the two of them to a frozen lake. She brought Naga to the side and finally decided to stop. It was as good a place as any. Dismounting, Korra worked for a minute to remove the saddle, then patted the polar bear dog on the forehead in appreciation and turned to address the lake. She briskly struck a waterbending pose, extending both hands away and apart. A large crack formed across the top of the ice, breaking with a resounding crack that cleaved the lake in twain. Crumbling in an outward shock wave, more and more of the ice peeled back to show the water underneath.

Korra stood straight once more and turned, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to gesture toward the newly-exposed water. "Want to get some fish, Naga?" she asked. At the very least, the animal understood the word fish, and happily leaped into the water to find something to eat.

Surveying the surrounding area, Korra decided that a lakeside camp made the most sense. Over the course of several minutes, she carefully crafted blocks of ice to form a shelter out of and stacked them. Not neat, but functional. She'd eventually need to collect materials to run a fire with, but for now she could rely on firebending. Assuming Naga returned with any fish and didn't eat them all herself.

Korra lingered by the lakeside for a further two hours. She crafted a small camp, and once she ran out of ideas, a snowman. She found a spot to sit, kicking her feet in idle boredom when she realized she didn't actually have anything to do this far out. She had a long time to think about the argument and how little it seemed to matter now. How running off on her own was starting to seem like a bad idea. Where would she go, anyway? She could take care of herself, but what would she be doing? Living on a lake, eating fish and sleeping like Naga all day? She glanced sidelong, looking at her snoozing polar bear dog.

With a heavy sigh, Korra spoke. "Naga." The sleeping animal opened her eyes, sitting up in place with her head canting to one side as if trying to understand. "Let's go home, girl." Naga's tail began to wag with apparent excitement.

Korra's return to reality happened around the time she heard her name being called in a raspy voice. Her senses pulled inward, vision un-blurring and nose picking up the faint floral smell of perfume once again. She turned her head, trying to look around at the person in front of her. The strained voice called out again, and Korra realized Asami was talking to her. "Korra. Too tight!"

Korra promptly became aware that she was clutching Asami's waist very tightly. She felt Asami attempting to move, while Korra squeezed her hard enough around her stomach that she felt Asami's ribcage poking her wrists. She quickly let go with both hands, face switching to a wide, embarrassed grin. "Sorry! Whoa—!"

Caught off balance, Korra's attachment to the bike faltered. She gripped tighter with her legs to keep from falling backward, and swung her arms forward once again to reattach them to Asami. This time, her hands landed on the middle of Asami's chest, holding her around the middle. This caused Asami to turn her head and glare back at Korra with widened eyes. Korra lowered her hands, returning them to Asami's waist, apologizing again. "Um, sorry."

Korra turned her eyes away to the side, leaning her head forward so that the helmet rested on Asami's shoulder. She felt very stupid. She remembered feeling the same way in her daydream. After she returned home from running away, she found out no one even noticed she left. She thought she ran away and that her parents would be worried and promise to never fight with her again, but nobody even knew she went out to the lake.

Her eyes snapped open as the bike passed water. She elevated out of her pout to sit up straighter on the bike. She extended one hand toward the pond, pointing to the side while carefully holding Asami with the other hand. "Asami, let's stop here!" she yelled over the blaring motorcycle engine.

Asami's head tilted back, eyes flickering in Korra's direction for only a moment. "At the park? Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

She held on as the bike veered to the side. Asami checked the surrounding area with a surveying glance before carrying the two of them to the sidewalk. Slowing down the vehicle, she brought it to a halt and moved to kick the stand down to park it. Korra's attention drifted though, looking out at the body of water. Once the motorcycle slowed enough, she hopped off the back and removed her helmet. She shook her head side to side to settle her hair, though she noticed Asami out of the corner of her eye doing the same thing, and her hair-toss looked much nicer. Korra shot her a jealous stare and a quiet huff, though Asami didn't look like she caught it.

Asami collected both helmets, resting them on top of the bike. After watching Asami adjust her hair for a few seconds, the green-eyed woman finally spoke up to ask, "So, what'd we stop here for?"

Korra shot Asami a warm smile. She recognized that Asami stopped on her request without really knowing why. She just assumed Korra had a good reason. Well, good or not, she elaborated while starting to walk across the grass to the water. "This is the first place I came in Republic City. It's changed a lot, though."

She looked back to make sure Asami followed her, which she did. The snazzy woman moved to catch up, moving alongside Korra all the way to the water's edge. "They even named it after you a while ago."

Korra beamed with pride, nodding her head in affirmation. "Kind of funny. The first time I came here, it was just me and Naga. We got kicked out for fishing in the pond." Her head turned, looking across the water. "I thought we could eat here instead!"

"Eat… here?" Asami asked. She elevated a slender eyebrow, her face showing total confusion.

"Sure! There are plenty of fish. If we only take a few, it won't hurt the population."

"Are you sure we should do that?" Asami asked cautiously. The look on her face definitely expressed that she didn't believe Korra's idea was a good one. "I don't even know how to fish."

"You said yourself, it's my park now. They can't kick me out of my own park!" Korra moved her hands expressively, leaning forward to emphasize her words. "You showed me something new by taking me out on your bike. It's my turn to teach you how to fish."

"I guess," Asami murmured, but she didn't sound convinced. There was a concentrated look on her face. Her featured showed some doubt, but she apparently decided to trust Korra. Korra appreciated the effort Asami went through to go along with her antics. She knew of course that she frequently got herself into trouble, and maybe she deserved it, but Asami always remained loyal.

"Great!" Korra returned. She spun on her heels and started to stalk around the edge of the water. She scanned the ground, along the grass and shrubs growing everywhere. But it didn't take long to understand how tidy the park was kept, and she couldn't locate what she was looking for. She returned to Asami, who observed with a curious expression. "There are a lot of ways to fish. Naga catches them herself, and sometimes I can get one away from her. I usually just waterbend them out, but I can't teach you that. We could use poles, but we don't have the supplies for that either."

"So, how are we going to fish then?" Asami asked. She unfolded one arm, elevating her hand into the air in a partial shrug.

Korra made a spinning motion with her body. She twirled in a circle, her hands flowing around at waist-level. As she moved, she bent the nearby water, drawing a thin stream of it from the pond and into the air. It snaked through the air and followed Korra's motions to swirl around her. Eventually, she focused it in front of herself and into a long and thin shape, which she solidified into a sturdy spear of ice. She then turned, in a showy flourish, bringing her arm forward with a strong throw, launching the spear from her hand and toward the water at a fish swimming nearby. The spear flew brilliantly through the air and into the water. And missed.

Korra slapped a hand sharply against her forehead. All that show for a complete failure of a demonstration! At least she managed to make Asami start giggling. Korra lowered her hand to her mouth, clearing her throat into a balled first. "Well, you get the idea." She moved her feet, spinning in place once more to replicate the waterbending technique that she used moments ago. After a few seconds of movement, she reformed a new spear, underhanding it gently to Asami, who caught it easily in an outstretched hand. "Now you try."

Asami held the spear of ice in her hand, focusing her green eyes on it and swinging it with some motion. Korra thought she might be trying to judge the weight or the balance of it. Asami did always seem particularly sharp about those kinds of things. Not just in the technological sense, with the gadgets she and her father worked with. But she embodied a great deal of physical training and experience as well. Korra watched while Asami moved her feet into a more comfortable position, then stepped forward and threw the weapon into the water. She missed, and by a fair margin. She looked disappointed.

Korra remained positive. She smiled widely, making sure that Asami could see her encouragement. She took a step closer and bent her knees, kneeling on the grass with both hands resting on her thighs. She tried to strike the pose of a wise teacher, attempting to show Asami a new technique. "Not bad, actually. But the throw needs to be more steady and direct. You kind of have to let it roll right off your fingers when you let go." She held up one hand, repeatedly making a motion by bending her wrist and extending her fingers, trying to show how the release worked.

Once she was confident Asami understood and was ready to go again, Korra drew more water from the pond and formed it into another long spike. Asami caught it, and took the necessary time to find a target and line up her shot. Korra sat silently as the nonbender went through the motions and launched another spear, missing once again.

"That was really close," Korra said. "There's one more trick, though. Even if you throw it hard, the water deflects the spear, pushing it off course."

"So how do you adjust?" Asami was already holding out her hand for another spear. Korra drew water to herself and made several more spears, handing one off to Asami.

"You have to make it spin. If it's rotating enough, it stabilizes and can't be pushed off course." She made another motion with her hand, showing how the release was intended to impart a certain amount of rotational force on the spear. And with Asami paying her close attention, Korra suddenly felt very intelligent. Even if she learned the technique from others back home, and most of the verbiage was not her own. It was refreshing to see Asami impressed by her own ingenuity for a change, rather than the opposite.

"That makes a lot of sense," Asami concluded. She waved her hand to practice the motion before finally trying the real thing. Korra watched the lance pierce the water, but again fail to strike an actual fish.

She smiled in order to keep the atmosphere friendly, though she knew Asami would be unlikely to actually skewer a fish on her first time out. She tossed more spears, one after the other, to an increasingly determined Asami. Korra watched in silence, allowing Asami to work through the finer details with trial and error. She watched spear after spear fall into the water, making the shoreline resemble the backside of a boar-q-pine, although much of the ice was melting. She was about to pass another spear to Asami when she saw the latest lance sink beautifully into the water and pin a fish to the bottom of the pond. "I—I think you got one," she said in disbelief.

Asami transitioned into a stationary dance in celebration. She thrust one fist into the air and hopped up and down on her feet, prancing where she stood. The motion made her hair bounce like a spring. She also shouted excitedly, "Woohoo!" Korra moved to stand up, pushing from the ground to walk to the water's edge with Asami to inspect it. Asami managed to pierce the fish through its tail fin, immobilizing it, but not harming it. "Now what?"

Korra realized she didn't actually think that far ahead. Normally she'd hold it over a fire and cook it, usually with firebending, but without a proper skewer it would be disastrous. Ice might work as a replacement spear in a pinch, but she couldn't keep it near any flames. "Uhh, well, we need to catch several more, and then find a way to put them on sticks so I can cook them. And then we, um, eat them."

"That sounds like it's going to take a while. And I'm not so sure about eating otherwise unprepared fish," Asami replied with a slight frown.

"It's not so bad once you get used to it—" Korra said back quickly, though she stopped herself. Of course, she ate a great deal of food with minimal preparation. But Asami did grow up wealthier and with more well-prepared meals. Asking Asami to bite into a charred whole fish might be a little too much. She waved a hand in the direction of the spear, lifting it from the bottom of the pond to let the fish free. "See you around, little guy." Afterward, she turned to address Asami. "I guess we can continue onto the restaurant, when you're ready."

Asami looked to be stretching, taking a few paces around before sitting down in the grass closer to Korra. "Whenever you want to, I don't mind killing some more time. It's not quite lunchtime yet."

Korra settled into a position with her legs crossed, putting a hand on either outfacing knee. She shuffled enough to face Asami. "Well, that was my only idea. I thought maybe I could teach you something new. You've shown me a lot of things, especially on how to adjust to Republic City life in general. I thought I should return the favor." She slumped her shoulders, pouting.

"You did show me something new," Asami replied. "I'll practice more later. We could go on a fishing trip sometime?" Her tone was polite, trying to give a helpful suggestion to cheer Korra up. "Plus, you showed me the Dancing Dragon. It's not like this is a one-sided relationship."

Korra perked slightly, reducing the arch of her spine to sit straighter. "I guess that's true." Her eyes flew across the street, inspecting the row of buildings to try and get an idea of what else they might be able to do to pass the time. Her scan stopped on a small grayish building with a large logo plastered on the side. "We could go to the hat store."

"Hat store?" Asami asked with a confused look. She turned her head and examined the other side of the street, where Korra was looking. "What hat store?"

"That one right there. The gray building. Jiang's." She pointed.

Asami started snickering, cheeks reddening in laughter. Korra was momentarily confused, but Asami elaborated. "Korra, I'm pretty sure that's a dojo. The logo says 'Practice.'"

Korra tilted her head and squinted. She re-assessed the symbol next to the name. She could see how the sharp lines might be confused with the symbol for 'practice,' but it would have to be an awfully stylized font. "Looks like a guy in a hat to me. See? He's facing to the left and looking down at an angle. It's a big square hat, with a long bill. I'm certain." She paused in her consideration of the logo. Asami giggled the entire time she was quiet. Korra then added with less confidence, "Or it could be an arrow. Or the head of a turtle duck."

"Are you looking at clouds now?" Asami chimed in. Her voice was bubbly, fluttering with the remnants of her previous laughter, adding extra syllables to every word.

Korra reclined, extending her arms upward and behind her head. She stretched while swinging back, laying down in the grass. Her eyes shot upward, staring straight into the sky while she expressed a smile. "We could do that, too. See, that one's a jackalope."

From the corner of her eye, Korra saw Asami shuffling. She turned to one side and stretched her legs outward. With a slight turn, she ended up laying in the grass as well. After a brief silence, Asami raised a hand in gesture. "That one looks like Naga."

"Hmm, I suppose you could say that. What about that one?"

"Definitely a frog squirrel."

"Well I think it's a squirrel toad."

They both laughed. Korra enjoyed the company, and couldn't remember the last time she felt so at ease, by herself or with a friend. She couldn't have been happier.


	4. Chapter 4: Toxic

Asami was sick. There was no nice way of putting it. She felt the same all morning, with no significant change. The doctor who visited issued an annoyingly unhelpful diagnosis of "most likely stress-related." It was a complete waste of money. Maybe she'd get a second opinion. For the time being, Asami entertained herself by hovering near the washroom for the fourth time, waiting for the thermometer in her mouth to offer more conclusive results. Plucking it from between her lips, she looked at the numbers along the side. Perfectly normal. Again. She sighed.

Asami awoke with a stomach-ache. She did some minor chores, paced around the estate, even prepared food for herself, but nothing helped. She merely lingered at the dining table alone, staring at a plate of tarts, assorted fruits, and nuts. She leaned her cheek into an open palm, eyelids drooping. Her other hand idly drummed a chopstick against the side of her dish to make repeated clinks. She felt tired, as if from lack of sleep. Her head occasionally gave her bouts of dizziness, throwing off her equilibrium and making standing difficult. She couldn't eat, and she couldn't concentrate. Asami felt as though she barely existed at all.

She tossed both wooden sticks onto the plate with a clatter. She stood, gritting her teeth from the screeching of the chair upon the floor which pounded in her ears. She opted for a stroll, hoping the dizziness wouldn't limit her ability to walk around and potentially get some fresh air. As Asami passed a doorway leading outside, she considered exiting the mansion, but instead continued aimlessly. Unsure of her actual destination or why she had begun to wander, she eventually found herself at the indoor pool. Deciding to stop, she stepped into the open area. Chairs and cushions stretched along the edge of the crystal clear water, visibly fed by a lion turtle statue spouting a fountain from its mouth.

Asami walked to the nearest poolside lounge chair and sat. Easing her house-slippers off, she extended her legs enough to rest her feet in the water. While she didn't fancy a swim, the slowly-moving current did feel somewhat calming. Still finding it difficult to concentrate on anything in front of her eyes, she closed them, trying to let the rippling water help her relax. The water was slightly cold, but it would do.

Asami's week had been topsy-turvy to say the least. Some days felt good and others didn't. The previous day was much better, though she had trouble sleeping then, too. Besides the morning, the rest of the day seemed to have gone well. Meeting with Korra was nice. And it felt good to get out of the house and experience a sense of accomplishment for a change. Following the handling of the situation with Kuvira, Korra came back to Republic City for some much-needed rest, and Asami returned to her duties at Future Industries, only to find the company running itself. She found more free time now, and less to worry about. Somehow that only caused her to worry more.

She assumed taking Korra out on a motor bike for the first time would be a fun experience. And she had been right. Teasing the Avatar was always its own reward. Korra often reacted predictably to prods and pokes. Over time, Asami learned how to talk Korra into nearly anything. Besides which, the act of riding on a motorcycle wasn't any worse than riding on a polar bear dog. And of course she expected Korra to find the ride to be a fun experience as well.

It was hard to say if Korra enjoyed herself. The ride around the city ended up being almost eerily quiet. She looked over her shoulder on more than one occasion, and it appeared as if Korra was lost in thought. At the very least, she didn't seem fearful of the bike ride. But Asami didn't want to break the tension or Korra's concentration by intervening in whatever she was thinking about. She did wish that Korra spoke to her more. Though she improved, Korra still suffered bouts of depression. The only thing that Asami wanted was to see Korra build up the nerve to talk it out and work through it. But as time passed, Korra kept more and more things to herself.

Korra did, of course, nearly suffocate Asami during the ride. Not intentionally, of course. But due to whatever daydream Korra was having, she ended up gripping much too hard around Asami's middle. Asami was focused entirely on the road until Korra's arms snared her like a vice. The sudden squeeze forced her breath out. Failing to pry the Avatar off, she resorted to yelling. "K-Korra," she choked. "Korra. Too tight!"

Korra let up, then proceeded to nearly fall off the bike. And out of the blue, she directed both of them to the park. Asami obliged without actually understanding the purpose of the visit. Once there, Korra tried to teach her how to fish. Or, how to throw spears at fish anyway. Asami felt no real motivation to learn such a trade. She couldn't imagine herself catching, preparing, and cooking a fish from start to finish. The Avatar was no doubt more used to that type of thing. But it was an opportunity to bond and observe Korra, to make sure she was doing okay.

Asami took the time to carefully monitor Korra, attempting to read her emotional state. Her behavior felt more impulsive and unguided than usual, which was saying something. Korra had to know that Asami didn't want to eat unprepared fish. Even sashimi was hand-crafted by talented chefs. The thought of it reminded her of the "food" she tried that Bolin seemed to affectionately refer to as "street gruel." No thank you. The behavior had to be something else. Her only suspicion was simply that Korra felt guilty about always seeming down, and wanted to pay Asami back for the kindness she experienced. It was a terribly sweet sentiment, if true, even though all Asami really wanted was to see Korra happy again.

Once she talked Korra out of eating pond-fish, the two wandered off-topic and spoke about several other things. Korra's imagination resulted in a discussion over the logo for Jiang's Dojo, which to Asami obviously read "Practice." But laughing along with Korra over the interpretation of the sign, as well as the clouds in the sky, made Asami feel much better. She hoped Korra was feeling better, too.

The two did finally make it to the restaurant as was the original plan. Asami was content to enjoy some real seafood, prepared expertly by a skilled chef. The two of them picked through a marvelous selection of dumplings and fried shrimp, octopus fritters, clams, lobster crab, and seaweed wraps, much of it over rice. Lunch passed by relatively quietly, if only because Asami felt hungry for the past several hours, and Korra always seemed capable of stuffing her face. Often times to comedic effect.

"You might want to slow down a little," Asami warned after seeing Korra pounding her chest with a balled-up fist, her mouth full of food. Korra displayed a sheepish expression while trying to wash the food down with tea. Asami's only option was to snicker at Korra's misfortune when she transitioned from eating too quickly to burning her mouth with hot tea. Asami pushed her glass of ice water closer to Korra to douse the flames in her throat.

Despite the rest of the events, the walk home had actually been the most enjoyable part of the day. When Asami started to put her bike helmet back on once outside again, Korra asked if they could walk instead. Asami originally intended to question if Korra was afraid of being on the motorcycle again, but opted to oblige the request. Both girls set off down the street, Asami pushing her bike at her side. Even though only yesterday, Asami barely remembered what they discussed. The conversation itself wasn't really the point of the interaction. Asami elaborated on some new ideas being worked on at Future Industries, and Korra told a story about Tenzin's kids showing her some new airbending techniques. But Asami really only recalled being able to get Korra to speak openly, and converse with a smile on her face.

Asami rolled her eyes to the ceiling, raising her chin while starting to recline in the lounge chair by the pool. A walk sounded like a good idea. Maybe it would help her to clear her head and work out some of the illness she could still feel aching in her joints. She withdrew her toes from the water and moved to stand. Asami's arms and legs extended to their limits, hands overhead, and eyes clenched shut so that she could work every little kink out of her body in one long stretch. Once done, she drifted out of the pool area and into the hallway.

She relocated to her room and began to pick over clothing, even with the pull of her stomach still nagging her. She took less care to select an outfit this time around. She wouldn't be showing off to anyone anyway. She just hoped to find something comfortable to wear. A simple long skirt, a top, a jacket. Some leggings which only vaguely matched the color scheme. Smaller shoes with no heels. She pulled her hair back into a fist, holding it up while finding a pin to keep it together with. She didn't particularly feel like styling it. Similarly, the thought of applying makeup just sounded taxing. So, she didn't.

Asami paused near the mirror, inspecting herself. While far from her greatest effort, she decided that it would do. She'd only be taking a brisk morning stroll. Her feet moved, pushing off from her standing position to send her back into the winding halls of the large and empty estate. She passed through the kitchen, stopping long enough to lift a single moon peach tart from the previously discarded plate and take a bite. While her stomach still bothered her, she thought it best to eat something anyway. She quickly downed the tart and scurried outside. With the cooler air giving her a slight chill, she slipped her hands into her pockets.

She walked past her parked motorcycle, pace slowing until she stopped entirely to consider it. The prospect of zipping around town seemed fun. But with the occasional dizziness she felt, she judged it to be a bad idea. Still, maybe she'd take it out for a spin later on when she was feeling up to it. Maybe go down the same roads with the same sights. Try to understand more fully what the silent Korra may have been thinking or feeling. What did the Avatar daydream about?

Asami kept walking. She shrugged her shoulders and settled her hands more securely in her pockets. She decided she'd trek alongside the road for as long as she could. The brisk mid-morning air wavered from comfortable to cold. And naturally, her stomach still ached despite the bite of food. She started to wonder how Korra felt.

_Korra, Korra, Korra!_ Asami couldn't seem to keep her mind off the girl. She wasn't even entirely sure why. She furrowed her brow in frustration at her apparent mental persistence. A mild bout of dizziness made her wander off the path and seat herself on a bench which faced the street. She set her elbows on her knees and put her head in her hands. "Augh, why can't I think of anything else?" And while the dizziness subsided, she still felt crummy. It remained difficult to concentrate. Unless it was about the Avatar.

Her green eyes caught movement on the other side of the street. Any distraction to give her something else to focus on. She narrowed her eyes to focus more clearly. It was an elderly couple. She could at least make out what looked like Earth Kingdom attire. Travelers, most likely. The man was in a wheelchair, being pushed along by the woman — she assumed the woman was his wife, though she didn't rightly know. The old man seemed lively and expressive, though. He was pointing and clearly talking, even if Asami couldn't make out the words. And his wife would lean down closer to listen when he spoke. They were cute together. She envied that; she hadn't been that close to anyone since she broke up with Mako.

The couple with the wheelchair drifted out of sight, leaving Asami by herself again. She immediately thought of Korra, when she was in a wheelchair. Oh, she knew she couldn't keep her mind off Korra for long. Leaning forward more, Asami tilted her head down into her hands. Her fingertips stretched across her forehead and scalp and into her hair, holding her head with a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes, letting her mind go where it obviously wanted to go.

Korra was sick. Much like Asami now, only far worse. It almost seemed silly to dare complain about her current symptoms, having seen Korra in the position she was in three years ago. Asami was there when it happened. During the last confrontation with Zaheer, when Korra collapsed on the ground. The details all seemed so vivid and realistic as she recalled it. Korra had poison in her body, and it was killing her.

It was impossible to watch, and just as impossible to look away. Asami watched in horror from afar, her hands clutched tightly to her chest. She couldn't stand to see it happening. It felt as though a part of herself was dying. She felt completely helpless, and so utterly alone. Her best friend — her only real friend. She wanted very much to rush to Korra's side and comfort her. But Korra's father was already there. And soon, so was Suyin Beifong. They were already tending to Korra, and there was nothing Asami could do for her. So she stayed back. And watched. And nearly collapsed to her knees in tears when Su removed the poison and Korra opened her eyes, and spoke.

The next few weeks were very difficult for both of them. Even after it was removed, the venom in Korra's blood took all of her strength. She could barely move, and was restricted to a wheelchair. Asami rarely left her side, and she knew Korra felt miserable the entire time. Asami wasn't sure what to do, or what to say. She tried to stay positive. She knew Korra nearly died, physically, but it drained her mentally and emotionally as well. She couldn't stand the sight of Korra wasting away, and didn't want it to see her lose hope as well.

Asami gradually accepted more responsibility for Korra, becoming more of a caretaker each day. She wanted to make sure the Avatar stayed within arm's reach, to make sure nothing else happened to her. She soon found herself helping pick out clothes and sometimes put them on. She cooked for Korra frequently, usually preparing soups or other simple meals like rice. Korra could feed herself, but never ate much. Asami wanted to tell her she should eat more to regain her strength, but it was too early to challenge her.

Asami read books of all kinds to Korra to pass the time. Some about ancient battles and brave heroes and others about star-crossed lovers. Korra could read by herself, of course, but Asami was certain they both benefitted from the company. She liked to read humorous books the most, even if she very rarely got a chuckle out of the young Avatar. One such joke about a camel yak made Korra tear up in pained laughter, although Asami never understood the punchline. It was still good to see Korra enjoying herself.

Asami developed terrible sleeping habits during the time she cared for Korra. She frequently found herself waking up in the chair next to Korra's bed. The Avatar was prone to nightmares, and Asami tried to stay nearby to wake her if need be. She slept at odd hours, drifting off whenever she found a moment's peace. Some days, Tenzin would take Korra out to enjoy nature or to give history lessons. Other times, Bolin would stop by to chat with her. And while Asami appreciated of all the support and help that Korra's friends offered her, she also felt that they occasionally only came by to relieve Asami so that she herself could get some rest. Tenzin in particular was very good at sensing when Asami needed a day off, even though he was too kind to put it in such words.

Two weeks following the incident, Korra had her first opportunity in some time to make an actual public appearance. Asami spent the entire morning selecting appropriate clothing and getting Korra ready to attend Jinora's airbending master ceremony. The dress that she selected was much nicer, and more feminine, than the type of clothes Korra generally wore. But it was for a special occasion. While Asami helped Korra into a proper outfit, Korra's willingness to leave started to waver. "I'm not sure I want to go," Korra said in a weakened voice. She sounded defeated, and she looked it, too. Korra had dark circles under her eyes from lack of any consistent sleep, and the lingering nightmares that she dealt with almost every night. She refused to elevate her eyes past the floor, and her face lost most of its glow. Grins and smiles were so uncommon now that Asami cherished every one.

"You should go," Asami returned with a gentle, but dismissive tone. She brushed Korra's hair, pulling the entire length back to keep it straight. Korra occasionally twitched in protest when Asami pulled on a knotted bit of hair, but Asami appreciated the feedback, in a way. It meant Korra was still paying attention and could feel everything. "It'll be good for you. Trust me."

"I just don't feel ready. And I don't want to make a fool of myself."

Asami twitched the edge of her lips. She didn't know how to say it, but Korra had every right to show up, in whatever state, and not have anyone talk down to her for it. She calmly played off the comment while pulling back on Korra's hair. She lifted and spun a portion near the top, wrapping it into a small bun and resting a decorative cap upon it. She picked a pair of hairpins off the nearby window space and slid them into Korra's hair to keep it from coming undone. "There you go. All fixed up for a formal Avatar appearance. Take a look." She held out a mirror so that Korra could see herself in it and comment.

She knew, though, that Korra sensed her hesitation to have the conversation. Neither of them wanted to argue. There wasn't enough energy in either of them to commit to that. But Korra needed to attend, and she tried to pout her way out of it. She lifted her tired eyes enough to see herself in the mirror. "It's great. Thanks."

Asami lifted her hand from Korra's shoulder. She had rested it there to make sure Korra knew she was still with her. She reached to a flat surface nearby, putting the mirror away. She walked around Korra's chair with a slow and deliberate pace. Bending down, she lowered herself to her knees. She replaced the hand on Korra's shoulder, looking upward into her sunken eyes to offer what comfort she could. "You know, nobody expects you to bounce back right away. It's only been two weeks. You need time to heal."

Korra had a blank look on her face, completely devoid of any meaningful expression. She stared straight forward, almost through Asami, not focusing on her at all. She merely blinked, either unwilling or unable to say anything in response. It hurt Asami deeply knowing what Korra must have been feeling. As much as Korra pushed herself, she saw very little improvement in her condition. Korra was close to giving up, and Asami didn't want to see it happen.

To break the silence, Asami moved her other hand. She raised it into Korra's lap, along the top of the hands folded in her lap. She gently extended her long fingers, easing her fingertips over the back of Korra's hand to clutch it tightly. The movement and the squeeze caught Korra's attention, forcing her to look down at Asami's worried face. "I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you ever want to talk, or—" she began. She came to a halt, though, unsure in that moment what to say next. She fumbled through words in her head. What could she say? And more importantly, what was she trying to say? She felt uncertain of her own thoughts and motivation. She pushed on regardless, failing in her attempt to be succinct. "—anything. Let's just try to enjoy this today. For Jinora."

A stronger look of realization showed on Korra's face as her eyes raised, along with her eyebrows. She finally began to pay attention to Asami's words, and even appeared to be looking for the meaning in them. Asami still didn't know if her message was clear enough. But she hoped Korra knew that she'd do anything to keep her from being hurt again. "You're right. Okay. Let's go."

Asami stood quickly, releasing Korra's hands and trying to flash her a smile. The Avatar was still hanging her head, and Asami couldn't blame her for it. She knew Korra was at her lowest point, and needed guidance. Likely more guidance than she herself could offer. She stepped around the wheelchair and helped turn it, walking Korra out of the small room to find the rest of the attendees.

The two of them reunited with a large group which had gathered outside the temple. Tenzin and his family, as well as Kya and Bumi, Korra's parents, Lord Zuko, President Raiko, and several others. Korra seemed well enough to greet most of the people who approached her. She took compliments from her parents and Tenzin with a somewhat dopey smile on her exhausted face.

Then, Raiko spoke. "I'd like to officially welcome you back to Republic City. I know that the last time we saw each other it didn't end on the best terms. But I want to thank you for taking down those Red Lotus terrorists."

Asami's expression changed quickly. Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at the man addressing Korra. She listened to each and every word, noting how absolutely hollow they felt. It didn't sound as though he meant a bit of it. He threw Korra out of the city not too long ago, and now only approached her as a political move. Just a ploy to gain favor among the current demographic that viewed Korra favorably due to her deeds. Asami was grinding her teeth and tightly clenching the handles of the wheelchair. She wanted to show support for Korra, to be the one to stand up for her. But she couldn't make a scene or embarrass the Avatar. She stood down, not saying anything at first, giving Korra the opportunity to speak for herself.

She didn't. Asami wished she knew what Korra was feeling, or thinking, but the Avatar merely returned silence instead of speaking up. Instead of confronting him, she instead just lowered her eyes. She looked sad, and Asami didn't want her to build any stress from the encounter. She loosened her grip on the handles of the chair and leaned forward. It was almost painful moving her teeth again after the tight clamp. "We should get inside." Tenzin's other children helped alleviate some of the tension by running up to the wheelchair and bouncing around Korra. Asami mustered a faint smile when Meelo jumped into Korra's lap, and Ikki helped her push.

Asami remembered the ceremony being beautiful as well. But now, sitting alone on the side of the street while cars drove by, she started to miss the hustle and bustle. The entire group seemed closer at that time, three years ago or so. She wondered if they'd be like that again some time, and if Korra would ever fully recover. Korra made great strides and improved dramatically, but still had a lingering air of depression at times, and was still reluctant to talk about her feelings. She just wanted the old Korra back.

She rubbed at one of her eyes, squinting with the other and clicking her teeth together. She felt short of breath, taking in a deep inhale to let it back out again. She was frustrated with feeling sick, but also frustrated with herself. "What is wrong with you Asami?" she murmured under her breath. "Why can't you stop thinking about Korra?"


	5. Chapter 5: Opening and Closing

Asami squinted, gazing at the bowl of cheap noodles that Korra set on her counter. She bent over at the waist, both hands on the edge of the flat surface so that she could judge the recent purchase. In addition to the simple and easy-to-prepare foods that the Avatar generally asked her to keep around the mansion, Korra brought something new today. Each individual serving came pre-packaged, including a cheap bowl with a paper lid covering the top. Korra was already working on one of the packages for herself, leaving Asami to her own devices. Moments ago, Korra set out a tea kettle and began heating it. Asami, instead, read the instructions printed neatly on the side. "I think you're doing it wrong," Asami offered.

"No, no. I know the instructions on the side say something different, but this is a much better way to prepare it." Though Asami watched Korra with a quizzical expression, the bender acted as though she knew what she was doing. The younger woman moved around the kitchen to arrange things in a specific, meticulous way. She hadn't torn the paper packaging completely open, and was now standing next to the kettle, no doubt using some form of firebending to boil the liquid inside. Even though Asami already owned a gadget which did exactly that, Korra did have her own customs.

Asami stood up completely, finally deciding to pick up one of the packaged bowls. She caught the exposed lip and began to peel it back, but suddenly found Korra at her side. The woman made a quick slide to be next to her, reaching out with a hand to stop Asami from opening it. Asami's eyes grew in brief surprise, and she felt a faint chill when the hand clasped her wrist. She wondered momentarily what she was doing wrong. She was only following the directions. Had she offended Korra in some way?

"Here, let me show you," Korra spoke, taking on the tone of an instructor. While giving each step, Korra demonstrated with both dishes. "First, peel the lid back just enough. About a third of the way. Then, you pour in the boiling water." Upon saying so, Korra sidestepped and lifted the tea kettle, which vented steam from the spout. Asami watched her carefully measure the amount of hot water being poured into each bowl, filling nearly to the top. "Now, you close the lid, and…" Korra leaned to one side, lifting two pair of chopsticks from the counter, neatly placing each set along the top of both bowls so that the weight held the lid closed. "There. After a short wait we'll be able to eat."

Asami crossed her arms while listening to the explanation she was given. She elevated her brow, now actually impressed, but also intrigued. Her concentration locked on the dancing Avatar, who moved from one detail to the next. She spoke loudly and clearly about every single step involved in the process, as if it were something far more serious. Asami lifted one hand, fluttering her fingers in an expressive way. "I saw that the instructions said to remove everything and boil it in a pan. What makes you want to do it this way? Is there a difference?"

Korra stood up straighter, placing both hands on her hips in an accomplished stance. She had a much more attentive air about her now, and Asami could pick up that Korra was proud of her current ability to inform. "You dirty less stuff, and this way it cooks inside the bowl and keeps all the steam in." She leaned down to one of the noodle cups, tapping the top of it with a single finger. "The heat also seems to make the lid come off easier once it's all done. I guess that's a plus."

Asami hummed at the well-reasoned response. She actually expected something stranger coming from Korra. Her green eyes blinked past Korra and to both of the bowls on the counter, currently cooking the contents inside. "Where'd you learn so much about preparing cheap bowls of noodles anyway?" Asami noticed Korra rubbing her hands together. She hoped she wasn't putting Korra off by not sounding interested.

"In the store that sells them! Other customers hang out there, and they all have a different way of preparing theirs. Sort of a local custom, I guess?" Korra shrugged weakly, not pretending to understand why. "I guess it's just a fun thing to do, like swapping recipes or something."

"That's kind of strange, but go on," Asami said with a wave of her hand. The gesture, she realized, could be read as dismissive. She also didn't intend to sound so detached from the conversation. But her concentration began to wear thin. As much as she wanted to spend time with Korra, she felt antsy about something. She didn't know what.

Korra cautiously continued her train of thought. "Well, you can cook them in a pot, or in the bowl. There are a lot of different ways to do it, including adding extra steps. One guy swore on putting a chunk of ice in it after it cooked so it cooled faster. Most of them agreed that it tasted better if you included things like pork or tofu, or bits of cabbage. There are a number of spices that improve it, too."

Asami furrowed her brows in a perplexed way. She turned her hand over and extended a finger to point at the nearby bowls. "If you're going to use real ingredients, why buy the cheap stuff to put it in?"

The Avatar raised an arm, placing a hand on the back of her neck. "Well, it's—it's more about being creative, and—" She trailed off, lowering her shoulders in a defeated way. Her eyes drooped, face taking on a sadder expression. "Asami, is something bothering you? Or did I do something wrong? You seem kind of cranky. No offense."

Asami nearly got worked up over the barrage of questions and comments. She inhaled a breath of air and uncrossed her arms. But once she stood up all the way, she instead let out a heavy sigh. She averted her gaze toward the floor, and raised a hand to nervously pull on a loose strand of hair. "No. I'm sorry. I've been distracted lately. It's been a heavy week. I'm having trouble concentrating. It's not your fault."

Korra moved closer. She took several steps, closing what distance there was between them. Asami was closed-off, her arms tight against her body, standing with a guarded stance. Korra tried her best to lend comfort, settling on laying a hand on Asami's shoulder. Asami wanted to loosen up, to maybe lean into the warm hand close to her skin. But she was being stubborn, like a toddler simply deciding to be angry. She felt she deserved to vent. And she didn't want to be deflated so easily.

"What's on your mind?" Korra finally asked.

The question didn't help her temper at all. For Asami, it was more what wasn't on her mind: anything else. There was no rational way of explaining to Korra that she couldn't stop thinking about her, and she still didn't know why. Such an unusual revelation might cause a rift between them, especially if she couldn't defend herself, and Asami didn't want that. But there was nothing else she could say. Even searching her mind for excuses, she found no other answers. "It's nothing," she said quietly.

"Come on," Korra huffed. She quirked her lips to one side, now looking more frustrated than anything else. She tried to get through to Asami, but Asami wasn't letting her in. Korra clearly didn't appreciate being shut out, because she continued to stare at Asami. It made her uncomfortable. She wasn't sure of how to react. She couldn't tell the truth, but she also didn't like the prospect of disappointing Korra.

"Really, it's no big deal."

Korra placed a hand against her chest as she spoke about herself. "I have trouble talking about things sometimes, but I'm still working on it. You're stronger than I am. You should be able to discuss your problems openly."

Asami frowned. She didn't know what Korra meant or why she said it. It was almost like an insult, or a joke of some kind. "Me? Korra, you're the Avatar. You can do almost anything you want. You're so powerful and capable. You're in touch with the elements and the spirits and the whole world. People need you." Her arms flew into the air, expressing her irritation. "You're so special and wonderful, and I'm just—" She choked on her words, briefly. "I'm just Asami Sato."

"People need Asami Sato, too!" Korra replied. Her tone grew louder and more assertive. Asami's irritation was rubbing off on Korra; she could see it on the woman's face. "And Asami Sato needs to work through her problems just like everyone else!"

"It's just hard to talk about what I'm feeling!" Asami shot back. She relaxed her legs and took a wider stance, almost confrontational. It was difficult to hear those words coming out of Korra's mouth. Korra, who so often refused to talk about what was bothering her and tell Asami or anyone else what she was feeling. She would appreciate the irony more if she wasn't focused on wanting to smack some sense into the other woman.

"Now you know how I feel all the time!"

"Well, I'm sorry you have to deal with that!" Asami shouted.

"It's not your fault!"

"I wish I could help you with your problems, too, you know!"

"Why are we yelling at each other?" Korra screamed in an even louder voice. She was aggravated, but confused at the same time. The passion in the air elevated the situation to the point that neither of them knew why the other was yelling.

"I don't know!" Asami fell backward, her body slamming against the counter. She lowered her head and rested a hand over her face and eyes to shield them. She hissed air through clenched teeth, allowing the adrenaline to die down steadily with each breath. She heard the thumping of rushing blood in her ears. She wasn't mad at Korra, but rather at herself, and she felt ashamed that she'd allowed herself to be so upset over nothing.

Korra relaxed as well, also leaning on the nearby surface. She crossed her arms tightly against her chest and took on what was more of an indignant pout. She stared fiercely forward, not making eye contact. Asami didn't want to try and meet her gaze anyway. She was embarrassed about her childish behavior. Asami opted to sulk in silence, as punishment for letting aggression flare up. She was conflicted. The argument was paradoxical. She couldn't get Korra out of her head, and yet, when right in front of the woman, she could only start a fight with her. Stupid.

Asami accepted the silence between them, allowing Korra to be the one to break the ice again. Korra was the one she wronged, so she waited to be granted the right to speak to her again. Eventually, she was forgiven, and Korra turned her half-lidded eyes in Asami's direction. She softened her stance and spoke in a very quiet voice. "You know, I actually really admire you."

Asami allowed her hand to drop from her face. Her eyes lifted, timidly returning them to look at Korra next to her. She breathed, slowly, just to shake off the lingering bits of frustration she still felt. It tingled on her skin like a numbness before falling off. But the comment was taken to heart. Both hands wove themselves into her long, wavy hair to pull at it. "You do? Why?" she asked shyly.

Korra only shrugged. She held both hands out, with palms upturned. She returned the other woman's glance, letting Asami catch those blue eyes once more. It felt like ages since she'd really looked into them. "All the things you said about me, about being strong and connected with nature and the elements, that's all Avatar stuff. It doesn't count. It's not really me. Everything great about you is just you."

Asami found herself breathing more quickly. Not from anger now, though. She was calming, beginning to settle down. She loosened her tensed muscles and stood straighter, although her fingers remained in her hair. "What do you mean?" She was curious about the things being said. She wanted to hear what Korra had to say about her.

The blue-eyed woman tilted her head, giving Asami a strange glance, as if she didn't understand the question. "Well, you're really amazing. Think of all the things you've done. You run a huge company almost all by yourself. You've come up with so many things and made so many improvements. Not just inventions, but ways to get us out of messes like in the desert. You're also an excellent fighter. Nobody else I know could go toe-to-toe with benders like you do. You're smart, and pretty, and—" Korra trailed off, trying to think of more things to say. She was expressive, apparently having words on the tip of her tongue, but no way to form them into sentences.

Asami tugged more firmly on her hair. She wound it around a finger and pulled, making it bounce like a coiled spring. She knew her cheeks were red; she could feel it. She wasn't often subjected to such a barrage of compliments. "Thank you, Korra," she mumbled. It was all she could muster.

Korra sighed, transitioning into a less upbeat state. "You know I'm not very good at being open and honest. I still have flashbacks. And nightmares. It's just not something that goes away. It probably never will. A few years ago I just sort of shut down. The more I messed up, the more afraid I was. I didn't want to see anyone get hurt again. So I pushed everyone away, trying to do everything myself. I felt so stupid, and helpless. Before that, I thought I was the best."

"I still think you're the best," Asami said timidly.

"Well, I'm not," Korra replied. She exhaled heavily through her nose. After a long pause, Korra shrugged elaborately and continued. "If I wasn't the Avatar, I wouldn't have anything and I wouldn't be special. I wouldn't be able to help anyone. When people see me, they only see the Avatar, not me."

"I see the real you, Korra." Asami was exhausted trying to refute Korra's claims. She was better than she believed herself to be. It was just difficult to express. The right words hadn't been found yet.

"What's there to see?" Korra asked. She elevated a hand to her face, pinching between her eyes in a show of stress.

Asami stopped long enough in the conversation to untwist one hand from her hair. She bit her lip while considering the best way to respond. She had a lot on her mind, and a lot of things to say. So, she started slowly. "Your Avatar spirit gives you strong abilities. But it doesn't define your personality. You aren't sweet and caring because you're the Avatar. You look out for people and try to help them because you're you. Whether or not you could do all the things you've done if you weren't the Avatar doesn't matter. You still would've tried. At Jinora's ceremony, Tenzin said you were willing to sacrifice yourself for others. That makes you a wonderful person. And you've faced a lot of challenges. Without bending, without the Avatar state. You always kept fighting."

Korra nodded her head weakly to the speech. She flashed as much of a smile as she could manage before growing depressed once more. "As much as I worry about it, I also rely on my Avatar spirit to get me through everything. Sometimes I don't know if I can handle the responsibility. But I also know how afraid I was each time I lost a part of it. When Amon took my bending away, that was the worst I'd ever felt. I honestly didn't know how I could carry on after that."

"I seem to do okay without it," Asami offered. She half-smiled, trying to lighten the mood as much as she possibly could.

"But don't you ever get scared?" Korra asked in a tiny voice. "Not being able to bend?" Her gaze flashed to Asami as if to read her response. There was a hint of fear in the Avatar's blue eyes that Asami didn't like.

"I guess growing up without it made it easier," admitted Asami. "It's really not something I've thought about. It would be interesting; maybe even convenient. But it's never been something that held me back."

Korra managed a smile. It was momentarily uplifting. "Like I said, you're stronger than I am."

"I don't know if that's true. We both have our insecurities." After a pause in the conversation, Asami tilted her head to add, "Unless you meant physically. I'd kick your butt if you couldn't use bending!"

"You probably would," Korra agreed, chuckling for a second. She pushed a foot across the floor, awkwardly fidgeting while thinking of a way to proceed with the conversation. "I guess we're both a little messed up. But if there's anything I can ever do to make you feel better, let me know."

"I could use a hug," Asami suggested. She felt extremely vulnerable, unsure of exactly what to think at this point.

Korra obliged. She pushed herself away from the counter to embrace Asami. Korra's touch was instantly calming, stripping away the entire day's worth of built-up stress. The taller woman leaned into the contact, feeling both arms wrap around her middle. Asami clutched both hands to her chest, fingers laced together just under her chin. She wanted to close her eyes and just appreciate the warmth. Asami entered her own little world for those few short seconds. Several days worth of pressure and confusion were erased, and she selfishly wanted to remain in the safety that Korra offered.

Asami worried that Korra might release her and the sensation would simply drift away. She attempted to prolong the contact by returning the hug. She managed to move despite the squeeze of Korra's arms around her. She turned until her head dipped and rested against the crook of Korra's neck. A hand peeled away from her chest, easing down her side until it found Korra's wrist. Her fingertips slid across the back of her hand, gently clutching it in her own. Her other hand elevated, up past Korra's shoulder. She wanted to rest it there, but it wandered by itself, continuing higher. Her fingers curled when they touched Korra's cheek, drifting along her face.

Their hands touched before. Asami even held them, on a few occasions. But in the moment, she realized she'd never actually paid any attention to them. Korra was shorter, and stronger. Those attributes were reflected equally in her fingers and her palms. Where Asami's fingers were long and slender, Korra's were less so. And yet, her palms were soft enough that she could feel every crease. She expected them to be rougher, but they were still distinctly feminine and gentle. Korra was still a woman, after all.

Korra's cheek was soft, too. Softer than she believed it had any right to be. She delicately touched the other woman's face, almost experimentally, just to see how it felt against her fingertips. Silk was the only thing that came to mind. Each digit ventured calmly across Korra's jaw line, then further up to her cheekbones. Her thumb lightly touched the skin at the edge of tender lips. She focused so much on the tiny details that it startled her when she felt Korra's mouth move to speak.

"Um, so, the food—"

Asami nearly fell to the ground when Korra removed her arms and the support of her body with a single step. She expected the warmth of the embrace to drain instantly and leave her with an unbearable void in her stomach. But it didn't. Nothing left her. She still felt stable and comfortable. It was unreal; her breath wasn't elevated and her mind was clear for a change. It felt wonderful.

She caught the burning red on Korra's face and the confused stammering in her voice. Asami didn't understand what transpired, but she knew what she needed to say. "Sorry, I zoned out. I was daydreaming," she said calmly. The peace in Asami's voice and demeanor worked to visibly relax the Avatar. The awkwardness that built between them began to rapidly disintegrate. Korra's normal color returned to her cheeks, and she moved away to check on the bowls of noodles on the countertop in silence.

Asami stayed where she was, watching Korra move and work. She tried to process her actions. She didn't know what she was thinking, if she was thinking at all. In the moment, her mind was blank. It's possible she missed Mako, for as long ago as that was. She didn't miss him on a conscious level; that relationship was over. Emotionally, she recognized that she desperately needed the comfort and the affection. She didn't have anyone who could offer her that anymore. But she created an uncomfortable tension when her mind wandered. She went too far before realizing what she was doing. Korra already forgave her, but she wanted to clear the air nonetheless. "I apologize if I embarrassed you, Korra. I don't know what I was thinking, but my mind was somewhere else."

Korra was busy swirling a hand in the air over the bowls. As best Asami could tell, she was warming the water up again. The long conversation and argument left the noodles plenty of time to go cold. When spoken to, however, Korra upturned her eyes and flashed a reassuring smile. "It's all right. You actually just scared me." She stopped long enough to consider the next few words. "I wasn't sure what you were trying to do."

"Me neither," Asami responded with a snicker. Korra laughed along with her, and they both appreciated the small shared moment. "So um, can you salvage the food?"

"I think so. I'm just warming it back up." She turned to look down at both bowls in consideration. She captured a pair of chopsticks from the top of one bowl and drew the lid back with her fingertips. She stirred the soup with the wooden sticks for a few seconds. Afterward, she lifted and pulled them apart with a sharp snap. She caught both sticks in her palms, quickly rolling them back and forth between her hands.

Finally, Korra surrendered the prepared soup. When the bowl was pushed closer, the nonbender stepped forward to accept the food and the eating utensils. Korra followed the same process with chopsticks of her own, breaking off any potential splinters before use. Asami watched for a moment, then looked down at the food laid out for her. She stopped herself from digging in straight away, instead looking up at the other woman. "So, does this conclude our session in noodleology?"

Korra paused, already holding a mass of noodles in the air with the sticks. She hummed at the question. "Oh, I suppose it does?"

Asami folded the hand holding chopsticks into a fist and held it in front of her chest. Her other hand came to rest the palm against her fist, and she bowed respectfully by dipping her head. "In that case, thank you for the lesson, Sifu Korra."

Korra snickered, clicking her teeth together and starting to grin. She dropped the collected noodles from her chopsticks in order to wave them in a circle, pointing them in Asami's direction. "You don't have to make fun of me."

"No, I had fun," Asami assured her. She began to blow on the hot food, taking her eyes off Korra and laying them back on the task in front of herself. "We should do this again." Asami felt much better now. Whatever unrest she experienced earlier in the week was over. She hoped that she could return to a state of normality and enjoy spending time with Korra as they'd done in the past. With some luck, it could be like old times. Maybe a hug was all she needed.

"We can do it again tomorrow if you want," Korra offered.

Asami slurped a mass of noodles from the bowl before giggling at the suggestion. "I don't want to eat this every day. But it's not bad."

"See, I told you you'd like it."


	6. Chapter 6: Wind

Ikki soared high into the air. She floated easily along subtle currents of wind, riding each one to its destination. Each small gust had a mind and purpose of its own, and she followed it curiously to see what its goal might be. Every moment the wind shifted, Ikki adjusted the positioning of her arms and legs. Air coursed over the form-fitting wingsuit, flowing past the flared fabric to provide lift. Any tiny adjustment would send her this way or that; it was just a matter of interpreting the waves. Through careful reading of the currents, she made her way through the sky in the pattern of a figure 8.

Simultaneously, Meelo was busy cutting a sharp path through Ikki's fly zone. The younger bender tore straight upward, right through the middle of Ikki's domain. He zoomed close by her, nearly colliding in the air before reaching greater heights. A pocket of air sent him into a brief spiral, but he corrected from the turbulence well enough to resume. He ascended higher and higher, quickly out of reach of Ikki's glares, and nearly out of sight of Asami on the ground.

Asami was far below the two young airbenders, clutching a pad of papers and a simple thin brush. She turned her head to follow the motions of the duo high in the sky. Forced to hold a hand against her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun, Asami spoke up as loudly as she could to call out to the children. "Meelo, I can't see you if you fly that high! Could you reduce your altitude, please?"

"Yeah, don't you remember the story of the airbender who flew too close to the sun?" Ikki yelled. Meelo had disrupted her calm air currents and thrown her entire system into disarray. She naturally backed Asami.

"Didn't he catch on fire?" Meelo asked. "And then he could hit people and they'd be on fire too! That'd show 'em."

"I don't think that was the point of the story, Meelo," Ikki replied, annoyed.

The energetic and playful dialogue elicited a chuckle from Asami. She'd spent the last hour writing notes and taking suggestions on how to improve the wingsuits. She collected a solid eight pages and even sketched revisionary drafts onto the paper. She preferred this method of data collection. While she could perform any number of tests in the factory, the best way to secure results remained field testing. The information taken from the test flights would be utilized to create an even better version of the wingsuit in the near-future, which could itself be further improved upon.

She took non-technical notes as well. She asked both kids about other details such as color variations and other additions. Ikki did mention having a line of more traditional air nomad colors such as yellow, orange, and brown, rather than the current red and gray. Asami believed that suggestion may have come from Tenzin and Ikki merely echoed it, but she copied it down nonetheless. Naturally, Meelo expressed his desire for something in black with skulls, or green because it would "look gross." She also turned down his suggestion to put swords on the suit.

The nonbender returned to writing. She expected to gather a few more pages of information, unless of course Ikki and Meelo grew tired before then. Her concentration was interrupted, however, when she felt someone approaching. She stopped writing long enough to listen to the sound of footfalls, and to experience the chill running up her arms to tingle the back of her neck. She turned her head to the noise, flashing her green eyes at the woman now at her side. "Hello Korra."

"Hey," Korra replied in a friendly tone. She returned the same smile Asami was now giving her. "I couldn't find you at home. I thought I might find you here."

"You know me too well," chimed Asami. She looked back into the sky, preparing to ask for Ikki and Meelo to come down when she saw the two already descending after noticing the arrival of Korra.

"Korra!" yelled Ikki excitedly. She landed neatly on the ground and threw her arms around the Avatar's side to welcome her. Meelo touched down in much the same way, but refrained from stepping too close, no doubt to maintain a masculine facade. Korra greeted both of Tenzin's children by placing a hand on their heads and rubbing them. These days, Korra spent just as much time at Air Temple Island as she did at the Sato estate, although she divided her time further by cruising Republic City. The airbenders were naturally happy to see her again despite the short time apart. Asami was happy to see her as well.

"So what are you working on?" Korra asked curiously. "I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?"

"No," Asami responded quickly. "Nothing that has to be done right now. I was working with the kids to come up with improvements to the wingsuits. They give good feedback, and it should lead to much better control and handling." Asami beamed when speaking about the work she was doing.

"Pretty soon we'll be able to fly with no effort at all!" Ikki chirped.

"I don't think we can expect quite that level of improvement, but I'll certainly do my best," Asami said.

"That sounds great," Korra concluded. She stepped in closer, with her head canting to one side while turning her gaze on Asami. The heiress knew that something was on the Avatar's mind, so she remained quiet in order to hear her speak. "I was actually hoping you'd like to take a walk with me."

"Oh. Sure thing. Just give me a moment." Asami turned in place and looked upon the younger children. Briefly assessing their qualifications, she leaned down to hand off her notes and brush to Ikki. When Ikki extended her hands for it, Meelo quickly lunged between them and snatched the collection for himself.

Meelo began to run in circles around Korra and Asami, with Ikki giving chase. He played keep-away with the notebook while Ikki shouted at him in pursuit. "Give it back, Meelo!" The childish behavior amused both Korra and Asami into a fit of snickering.

"I'll leave it with you, but you both need to share it." Both children came to a stop, looking up to Asami when addressed. "Meelo, I need you to write down any additional thoughts you or your sister have so I can pick it up later."

Meelo deflated, looking utterly defeated when told why he was given the pad. "Aww, you're giving me homework? Do I have to?"

"Yes, that's a direct order," Asami said with a more stern tone. She dipped forward from the waist and pointed a finger at him. She furrowed her brow in a show of mock authority. From observing the young bender, she picked up on just how to motivate him.

Meelo saluted, standing up straight with a click of his heels. "Yes, ma'am!" He turned away with Ikki following behind, already scribbling notes on the paper.

Asami leaned in his direction, watching him walk to see what he was writing on the paper. She quirked her lips to restrain a chuckle. "And no, I can't make the suit burst into flames for you."

"Well, then you're just not trying hard enough!" Meelo replied with a matter-of-fact tone. The two younger children continued to walk away, finally leaving Asami alone with Korra. Asami watched them leave with a smile on her face.

When Asami's attention returned to Korra, the bender had her hands held behind her back, rocking idly on her heels. She waited for the two of them to have more room to speak, although Asami noticed the Avatar struggling to begin a conversation. "So. Any major breakthroughs with the suits?" she asked awkwardly.

"Several, so far." Asami turned in place and began to walk. She glanced over her shoulder, raising a hand to wave Korra into motion. Once the Avatar caught up to her, she continued alongside her with a matched pace. Asami smiled to herself, seeing that Korra had things on her mind, but was too shy or unsure of how to proceed. Asami continued the conversation in an attempt to have Korra open up. "I've actually been studying my father's biplanes. After I repurposed them for commercial use, we just continued to build them and the plans were set aside. But I found that studying their aerodynamics helped me understand the wingsuits better. And working alongside actual airbenders helps me visualize the air flow. It's a wonder my father was able to make something as advanced as he did without the help of benders. I guess he knew what he was doing."

Asami glanced to her side to see Korra offering her a sheepish smile. She did look more relieved, though. She finally began to speak. "I'm actually glad you brought that up. It's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father," Korra clarified.

"I see." Asami hadn't thought about her father in the last week. Korra was off about what was bugging Asami, but she still appreciated the thoughtfulness. But being reminded of him certainly flooded back a host of memories and feelings.

Korra continued her line of thought. "I've been worrying about what might have upset you the other day, and I thought maybe you were still having issues with him. How is he doing? And how are you doing?"

Asami found it difficult to express how she felt in regards to her father. In the last months, she'd finally broken down and visited him in prison, if only to shut him out of her life for good. But she found him to be apologetic, and began to grow closer to him once again. She wanted to be able to forgive him, but the pain of what he did, both to her and the company, was difficult to get past. "I think at this point we've made up. It's very hard, considering everything that he did."

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, Asami. But I never believed you'd be caught up in those things with him." Korra slowed the speed of her stride. Their path took them across the wide airbending training area in a circle, back to the meditation pavillion. Korra seemed to be magnetically drawn to the site. Asami found it to be a comfortably shaded area, and a place she didn't mind stopping. Korra moved to lean on the railing overlooking the water, so Asami followed her to her side and did the same.

"I don't know if I've ever properly thanked you for that. You've always trusted me, ever since the beginning." Asami sighed. She'd thought of this extensively before now, but only just had the opportunity to speak with Korra about it. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first, when you told me my father was with the Equalists."

"I'm sure it was difficult for you to accept at the time," said Korra in a comforting voice. "I'm just glad you're a much better person than he is."

Asami frowned at the choice of words. She knew Korra meant well, but she made it sound as though her father was an evil villain. She couldn't deny that he'd done wrong, but she believed that he could atone. Asami continued the conversation gently. "I'd like to think he's becoming a better person. He's going to have a lot of time to consider everything. Even if I've forgiven him, and even if he's sorry for what he did, he's still going to be in prison for a long time. There were a lot of charges."

"Is there any way he'd be able to get out earlier, if some of them were cleared?" Korra asked cautiously.

"I really don't know." Asami looked down at the body of water below. She leaned forward, crossing her arms upon the wooden railing. "The things he built damaged a lot of the city and hurt so many people. He helped nearly annihilate the entire United Forces fleet. Many of the things he designed are still being used to spread destruction. And he dragged our company and family name through the mud. I tried to repurpose most of the machines to save the company, but—"

"But you did save it," Korra cut in.

"That was a lot of work. And it didn't help that Varrick was working to sabotage me so he could buy me out," she finished. She turned her eyes away to pout, still not completely over that particular detail.

"It was, but you pulled it off. You got Future Industries back on track, and you've done a lot of good around the world." To break the depressed tension, Korra reached out to Asami. She pushed a hand into her shoulder, shoving her gently. Asami teetered slightly. "Not bad for a prissy rich girl."

Asami shot Korra a half-smile. She decided to return the compliment. "I just decided to follow in the footsteps of the Avatar, and try to help as many people as I could."

"I'm sure the Avatar, whoever she is, would be happy to learn that."

Asami finally brightened enough to smirk. She leaned in Korra's direction, giving her a return shove for the one she suffered previously. Korra swayed on her feet before issuing another one. After several back-and-forth pushes, both girls broke into fits of giggling.

Once the two settled once more, Asami looked back out over the water. Though she enjoyed the company of Korra, and occasionally the rest of the group around her, her thoughts still lingered on her father in prison. With both parents effectively gone from her life, no other family, and few friends outside of Korra, the permanently-busy Mako, and the far-away Bolin, she couldn't help but feel alone. A shiver worked its way up her spine when she thought of how much time she spent by herself in the large, empty estate. No one to talk to, or lean on, or confide in.

Korra clearly noticed the shaking. She turned to regard Asami, reaching a hand out to rest on the upper part of her back in an attempt to steady her. "Are you cold?"

"No, I—" Asami cut herself short. She tipped forward, clenching her eyes and teeth tightly shut. She could feel a swell of overwhelming fear and sorrow growing inside herself. It flared quickly, escalating her heartbeat and causing her to panic. The sensation soon caused a sharp pain in the middle of her chest. She lowered her face into both of her hands just as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She whimpered into the hands hiding her face and began to cry.

Korra was taken aback by the sudden display and breakdown. Enough so, at least, that she made no movements for several seconds while Asami sobbed into her palms. The concern on her face grew until she finally moved closer to the nonbender and embraced her. She pulled the trembling woman against her chest, tightly holding her with both arms. Korra spoke softly. "Asami, what's wrong?"

Asami stayed quiet for a long time, even when prompted. She allowed herself to be held and cradled against Korra's body. She couldn't voice just how appreciative she was of the warm body taking her in and showing her such a degree of tenderness. She felt her own heart beating rapidly, though she was beginning to calm. But with her head tucked against Korra's chest, she could feel the Avatar's heartbeat too. It was elevated, revealing to Asami that Korra was afraid and upset, too.

Asami stayed where she was. She still sobbed quietly to herself, but the feeling thankfully began to fade. The red slowly withdrew from her cheeks, and she pulled her hands away from her face. She fidgeted in Korra's arms, finding the bender reluctant to let go of her just yet. Instead of trying to pry herself out of the Avatar's arms, she extended the one-sided hug. Her arms unwrapped from her chest and she stretched them in a circle around Korra's waist to cling to her. Asami closed her eyes to appreciate the moment, but the silence was broken by a concerned Korra. "Asami?"

Asami sniffed. "I'm sorry, I—" she began. She allowed her eyes to blink open, flicking remnants of tears away from her lashes. Her vision was obscured, however, by one of Korra's arms. "It's difficult for me. I don't have any family left. I don't have the circle of friends that you do. I have no one."

Korra continued to hold Asami against her chest, though she raised one hand over the nonbender and swirled her fingers in a fluid circle. She drew the tears from Asami's cheeks, lifting them from her skin with a lasting, cool sensation. She flicked her fingers, tossing the droplets of water onto the wooden pavillion. "You have me. And there are others around you, should you choose to accept them as your friends. Tenzin, Pema, and their family are very welcoming, as are the rest of the airbenders. Mako, Bolin, my family, and—"

"I know, Korra." She sighed slowly. She felt the urge to rub at her eyes, though she knew that Korra already dried her tears for her. However thoughtful, the feeling was slightly jarring. "I know. I just—I can't shake these feelings of loneliness. I live in the huge mansion almost all by myself. You're my closest friend, and I feel as though you're the only one I can truly talk to. About anything."

"I want to be here for you, Asami, for whatever problems you might have." Korra began to pull away, though she continued to hold Asami with both arms. Asami turned enough to look up at the Water Tribe woman. She was used to being taller than Korra, and having to look down, but in this moment she crumpled against the Avatar and found herself on Korra's chest. "Are you going to be all right?"

Asami spoke slowly. "I'm fine. I'm glad you're here." She blinked while gazing upward at the Avatar standing before her. Her green eyes locked onto Korra's clear, oceanic blue.

Asami's breathing began to slow. As she looked into Korra's eyes, she noticed her strength draining cooly from her body, chilling her fingers and hands. She felt a sinking sensation trying to pull her down, instilling weakness and a faint dizziness. She wanted to speak, even to breathe normally again. But she was focused. Her eyes studied Korra's face, taking in the features and the contours of her cheeks and the color of her lips. Her fingers tingled, remembering what it felt like to touch. She tightened the grip of each hand on Korra's back, squeezing the fabric of her Water Tribe outfit. Korra seemed to be coming closer, until Asami realized she was the one leaning forward.

Asami's mind went blank the instant Korra spoke to her. She saw the world resuming from the slow-motion it had become. The sensation of touch came rushing back to her hands, and she stopped moving. She focused, mentally rewinding to register what was spoken. "You wear too many clothes," Korra had said.

"I—what?" Asami went over the words again, and they caused her to furrow her brows in total confusion. Did she hear that right?

The grip of the hug began to ease away from her. She allowed the weight of her body to resume being supported by her own legs, after having asked Korra to carry it for so long. Korra stepped back, holding a faint smile on her face while turning her eyes to look down over Asami's slouched stance. She pointed with one finger. "You do. You always wear so many layers of clothing. You never show off a bit of skin. You always cover your arms, and legs, even your hands with gloves half the time."

The shock of the sudden and strange conversation buzzed in Asami's head. She blinked to clear her thoughts in order to process the words and respond. She realized that whatever moment they nearly shared moments ago while holding one another quickly passed. Korra took no notice of it, or at least pretended not to. Asami's head continued to spin with mixed emotions, and she stopped long enough to hold up her hands and look at the black gloves she currently wore. It was true, what Korra said; Asami did often dress heavily, as she was doing today. She had on a long-sleeved coat, as usual, and wore stockings that covered the portion of her legs not concealed by her dress. She returned a look to Korra, blinking away mild confusion. "Okay?"

Korra crossed her arms, moving into a more relaxed stance while addressing Asami in a casual manner. "Just an observation. I'm just saying, maybe there's something to that. You feel alone and sheltered from other people. Maybe it's a subconscious emotional reaction of some sort. You dress very heavily, as if you're trying to shield yourself from everyone else." Korra moved to shrug, lifting one hand and flickering her fingers expressively. "At the very least, you must get hot, right?"

Asami listened to the words, squinting to take in their meaning. She almost wanted to be insulted, not that she fully understood why, but perhaps there was a some amount of wisdom in Korra's words.

"It's like a sort of security blanket," Korra continued. "Maybe if you opened yourself up a little, you could become closer to other people."

Asami frowned. She turned her eyes away once more, inspecting her hands. She pulled on the sleeve of her jacket and looked at the glove covering her palm. She didn't like the idea of comparing her choice of clothing to a "security blanket," given how childish that sounded. But Korra had never insulted her fashion sense before, in fact calling it snazzy on at least one occasion. She lowered her hands and stood up straight, looking up to meet Korra's reassuring smile. "I'll put some thought into it," she said, unsure.

"It should be easy for someone as amazing as you to make more friends," Korra said sweetly.

Asami offered her a smile. "Thank you." She then returned her focus to the gloves on her hands. She elevated both arms and began to pull on the fingers of her left glove. She tugged each digit to loosen it, finally sliding it off. Afterward, she switched to the other glove to remove it from her hand. She stuffed both in the pockets of her coat, then swung her shoulder to grasp the edge of the jacket.

"What are you doing?" asked Korra, apparently bewildered.

"Taking off my security blanket." Asami smirked at the other woman before returning to the task at hand. She eased the jacket down her shoulders and removed it. Her arms slid out of both sleeves, and she brought the jacket around to her front once freed. She reached out to lay the coat across the wooden railing. With the garment removed, she felt the brisk evening air on her skin, chilling her enough to cause goosebumps all down her arms. She rolled her shoulders and consciously loosened her muscles in an attempt to relax. But she soon found herself shaking. She exhaled with a slight laugh. "Well, now I really am cold."

Korra bit her lip to avoid giggling at Asami. She gave a quick nod of her head, then pushed with her arms off the banister into a standing position. "Why don't we go inside, then? We can see what Tenzin and the kids are up to."

"That works for me," Asami agreed. "After you, Avatar."


	7. Chapter 7: Remedy

Asami was excited that she'd get to see Bolin. The earthbender had been absent from Republic City for too long, and although Asami considered the option of travelling to Ba Sing Se to visit, she never could bring herself to plan a major trip by herself. Ever since the situation with Kuvira was dissolved and the world returned to stability, Team Avatar drifted apart. Bolin spent his time close to his family, and Mako dove into his work nose-first, leaving Asami with only Korra to lean on. She came to miss the brothers, especially Bolin's sense of humor and upbeat attitude. She liked to think of Bolin as the little brother she never had.

The heiress bounced joyously around her kitchen. Having just finished eating, she relocated the dirtied dishes to be cleaned. She knew her father's servants used to be the ones to pick up after the Sato family, but in the three years since her father was jailed, Asami became more self-reliant. There was a chance, of course, that the cleaning crew found very little to do around the estate, but Asami always kept them employed so that they could continue to make a living. No sense in punishing the staff for her father's mistakes.

Asami circled the kitchen table and came to a complete stop. She leaned down to lift the self-addressed letter she'd held onto. It arrived a week ago, indicating the date that Bolin would be arriving, and that he'd be visiting Air Temple Island to see Korra and the rest of the crew. She kept it, finding Bolin's theatrical style of writing to be amusing.

"To the Lovely and Charming Miss Asami Sato,

It is my greatest honor to cordially invite you to witness my momentous/triumphant return to Republic City, on the attached date, at the attached location. I have mournfully counted the days in which I have been divided from my dearest of colleagues, and though I fervently wish to remain with my kin in Ba Sing Se, I yearn for the opportunity to rekindle the bonds of my youth. I therefore humbly request that you join me in celebration, so that we may stoke the flames of our everlasting friendship.

P.S.: I'll be there by lunch. Dress code is business casual."

Asami flipped the card over and thumbed past the included drawings. Bolin supplied pictures of his own design. Fortunately, the details were labeled, otherwise she would never have been able to tell that the building in the drawing was a part of Air Temple Island. The primary picture included stick figures of herself (presumably), Korra, and Bolin all holding hands with wide, semi-circle smiles. She returned the note and pictures back to the table, chuckling to herself.

It was still early enough that Asami had time to kill, although she wouldn't mind seeing Korra. A slow and casual drive across the city and to the docks might be the best. She first decided to step past a mirror for a final check-up. She wasn't clear on Bolin's idea of "business casual," and didn't know why he issued a dress code for a reunion with friends at Tenzin's house anyway. But she made some attempt to go along with the request, and picked out a modest black dress with a decent length. Not too showy, and not too formal. She also picked out a contrasting necklace, and shoes with enough of a heel to be noticeable, but not to impede movement.

She reached for a jacket and lifted it, but stopped short of actually sliding it on. She elevated the coat in front of herself, holding it with both hands. The conversation of the previous day came back to her — the comment Korra left her with about not being open enough around others. There was truth to it of course. Asami made little attempt to actually reach out and make friends. She tended to blame work, but her duties at Future Industries rarely took up large amounts of her time unless a major project was underway.

But the idea was stupid. Korra hadn't meant that the clothing Asami wore was a literal security blanket. She'd been wearing similar outfits before even meeting Team Avatar. Although, she knew few people then, too. She pushed past the lingering doubts and stretched her arms to ease the coat on, settling it once it rested on her shoulders.

She sighed, and pouted at her reflection. She had to admit, the warmth of the coat around her shoulders did help to ease some of her troubles, and she'd never actually noticed. She felt safer, and less exposed to the world. She tightened her grip on the edge of the coat, likening the touch to that of a hug. The jacket was something of a substitute for actual affection when she had no other alternatives.

Asami couldn't be sure where or how Korra identified her insecurities. She never knew Korra to be much of a psychologist, and the details were eerily accurate to be a wild guess. She eventually admitted her looming feelings of loneliness to the Avatar, though, so maybe she extrapolated from there. Regardless, Asami didn't intend to dwell on it. She shook the coat to settle it on her frame, opting to keep it for now, since the weather report suggested cooler temperatures. That, and the realization came with the understanding that she'd just have to put more effort into forging relationships. She'd start by meeting Korra and Bolin.

She slipped away from the mirror and out into the front yard. She shook off the twinge of cold air that threatened to soak through her clothes. Already, she was confident in her decision to wear a coat. She'd be freezing otherwise. She moved quickly down the walkway and to the parked Satomobile alongside the road.

While starting the car and pulling out, Asami's mind wandered. To the things Korra said about her needing to be more attentive and trying to make friends, as well as being back together with old friends. She wondered if Bolin's letter to Korra was the same, or if he'd written a unique one to each of them. She thought, briefly, of the last time they'd sent letters amongst themselves. She frowned at the memory, recalling it to be a rough point in time, especially for the rift between herself and Korra.

Asami absolutely hated the idea of Korra leaving. Following the conclusion of Jinora's airbending ceremony, Korra decided that she wanted to leave Republic City and return to her family at the South Pole, at least for a little while. Korra had good reasons, of course, such as needing to be tended to by a healer as talented as Katara. But Asami still didn't want to see Korra leave.

The revelation completely floored Asami. In the two weeks since Korra's return, she'd gotten used to taking care of her and looking after her. Asami was responsible for the majority of Korra's care, and now she would be leaving? She simply couldn't accept that. She nearly lost her friend, and seeing her collapsed and poisoned, on the brink of death, filled Asami with such a feeling of unbearable loss that she genuinely believed she might not recover. She'd grown possessive of Korra in that timespan. And Korra wanting to leave felt less like Korra deciding she needed to move on and more like Korra being taken away from her.

When it became clear she couldn't convince Korra to stay, she tried the next best thing. She'd go with Korra. Asami knew she had other responsibilities. Splitting time between looming projects within the city and Korra became more difficult. And yet, facing the prospect of nearly losing Korra again, she found herself willing to uproot and move with her to the South Pole. But Korra wouldn't allow it. She told Asami she wouldn't be gone long; just enough time to be healed and recover before she returned. Asami didn't like the idea, but she agreed, for Korra's sake.

Then, the day came. The day Korra's parents arrived by boat to take her back. Asami pushed Korra down to the docks to meet them, as well as to say goodbye to the rest of their friends. When the two descended the ramp to traverse the pier, Asami caught sight of the entire party. Mako, Bolin with Pabu on his shoulder, Jinora, and Tenzin had all come. Asami stopped with Korra close to the crowd, smiling to greet everyone.

Korra had a hopeful smile on her face. Asami remembered thinking she'd stand up from the chair and hug everyone if she could. Instead, she was forced to settle for each person approaching her individually to say their goodbyes. Although the atmosphere was tainted gloomy gray from seeing the incapacitated Avatar leaving, each person expressed their desire for Korra to improve and return as soon as possible.

Once the initial pleasantries passed, Korra took a deep breath to ready herself for the journey. She turned her eyes around the crowd, looking at each person gathered. "I guess this is it."

Bolin stepped in first, speaking up on behalf of the group. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I can't _wait_ for you to leave."

Asami quirked her brow at the comment, although she came to expect some degree of rhyme and reason in Bolin's methods. Mako spoke next, however. "How else is she supposed to take that but the wrong way?"

She waited and listened as Bolin continued to speak. "I mean because I've never had a penpal before." Before Korra set out on her trip, the four of them agreed to keep in touch via letters. Bolin turned his attention to Korra, growing more excited with each word. "I'm gonna write you so many letters. And just to get the ball rolling — here." He leaned forward to Korra, holding out a note already sealed in an envelope. "Spoiler alert: Pabu and I already miss you."

Korra accepted the letter, offering as strong of a smile as she could muster. "Thanks, that's sweet," she said.

Asami decided to step in. She moved closer, leaning down to rest her hands on both of Korra's shoulders. She tried to reach out to Korra, emotionally. Maybe out of selfishness on her part, but she truly believed Korra was drifting away from the rest of the group and needed to come back. She needed to try and connect with Korra before she walled herself off. Korra had it in her head that she needed to do everything by herself. "Are you sure you don't want some company at the Southern Water Tribe? I'm happy to come with you," she offered one final time.

Korra shook her head. "No, I appreciate it, but I'll only be gone a couple weeks." Asami could manage for a couple weeks, if that was what was necessary. "A little time alone will be good for me."

Asami stood down, defeated, but not wanting to make a scene. She allowed Tenzin to address Korra next. The airbender generally had kind words of wisdom and support, and was one of the few people Korra listened to for advice. "Now, I don't want you to worry about a thing while you're gone. Your recovery should be your number one concern. Jinora, the airbenders, and I have everything under control."

The next few moments were a blur for Asami. She listened to more dulled goodbyes and watched as Korra was taken and loaded onto the boat. She stood on the dock with Mako and Bolin, waving as Korra drifted out of sight. A couple weeks. That's what she was told, and what she expected before seeing Korra again. Two weeks. And that was over three years ago.

Asami now stood on a similar dock by the water. Having parked her car and hopped out, she made her way to a small boat belonging to Future Industries, preparing it to ferry her across to Air Temple Island. During the process of untying ropes and starting the vessel, she found her patience wearing thin. She continued to focus on the trip. How Korra said she'd be gone for two weeks, and how they barely exchanged letters. She focused on how Korra had been gone so long — _three years_. During that time, Korra made almost no attempt to contact her. Even when she recovered, she didn't tell anyone. She fled her life and her friends. It hurt Asami greatly. If only Korra listened and allowed Asami to come. If only Korra wasn't so stubborn.

Asami was frustrated, and couldn't help feel a lingering sense of betrayal. Korra did what Asami feared most, which was to try and solve her problems alone. Asami tried to show Korra that she was there for her, but at the time, Korra didn't seem at all interested in accepting her help. Asami angrily removed the bindings on the boat and cast off, pushing away from the dock with her shoe. She slid into the driver's seat and began to speed across the body of water.

When she pulled in on the other side, Asami was already stewing in the annoyance of her memories. She jumped free of the boat and pulled it in to dock, outstretching a rope to tie it off with only a minimal effort. While not a lasting knot, it would do, and Asami didn't want to continue dealing with it. She dusted her hands clean and turned to tromp up the stairs leading to the main area. She cast her eyes over the series of structures, deciding to check the dining area since Bolin mentioned being there for lunch. She stopped in order to take a slow breath and release it with a sigh. She wanted to keep her emotions from getting the better of her and spoiling the happy occasion.

Asami reached for the door, cracking it open and stepping through the archway and into the building. She didn't see any others, at first, so she pushed on through the hallway. When she rounded the corner, two figures came into view: Korra and Bolin. The two were standing near the center of the room, Korra with her arms crossed, apparently chatting among themselves. Bolin's pet fire ferret, Pabu, was also in attendance. The creature quickly climbed over Bolin's back and shoulder, jumping on top of his head to take a look at Asami when she entered. His nose wiggled, and he chittered curiously. Both Korra and Bolin looked up in time to see Asami enter, and the look of the brightened faces did give the heiress momentary pause. She smiled.

"Asami!" yelled Bolin. Asami tensed up, eyes going wide when the earthbender started to bound in her direction. She braced for impact, nearly tackled. He threw his arms around her middle and clenched tight, pinning her arms to her side and lifting her. She felt her feet leave the ground, and by the look on Korra's face, her eyes must have stuck out. "It's so good to see you!"

Asami settled back onto her feet once Bolin let go. She took a moment to breathe, making sure Bolin didn't squeeze all the air out of her lungs. Or broke her spine. But once situated, she moved her eyes from one friend to the next. "Hello Bolin. Korra." She nodded to each of them in turn. She then noticed pressure and movement on top of her head, and looked up with the color draining from her face in concern, before realizing that Pabu had jumped into her hair. "And you, too, Pabu."

Asami took the time to take in the sight of both friends. Pabu looked no different than usual, as expected, but Bolin made good on his offer to dress up. The earthbender wore a sharp suit in a dark green and yellow, outdressing Korra and Asami by a fair margin. Despite the niceness of the outfit, Bolin still had a mild roughness around the edges, evidenced mostly by the disorganized state of his hair. She did appreciate his return to a more "classic Bolin" style after leaving the service of Kuvira. Korra's appearance, by contrast, was the same as ever: one of many Water Tribe outfits, this one including cut-off sleeves and a minute showing of her midriff.

Korra hiccuped. She had a look of mild frustration on her face, even though it was primarily masked by an eagerness to interact with her friends. "You made it."

"Of course I did, I didn't want to miss—" She was interrupted by Korra hiccuping again. Her gaze centered more on the Avatar, and she tilted her head.

"Korra's had the hiccups for, like, an hour. We've been trying to get rid of them," Bolin explained. He looked sheepish, tapping his index fingers together.

"Oh, well, I've heard water helps," Asami suggested in an attempt to assist. By now, Pabu had jumped free from her head and started climbing down her dress. She clicked her teeth together and squirmed uncomfortably, holding her hands up until the fire ferret made it to the floor and ran back to his owner. She exhaled.

"I tried that, and—_hic!_—it didn't work." Korra re-crossed her arms and stood firmly in place. She huffed, following the sigh with another hiccup.

Asami hummed in consideration, trying to recall any remedies she may have heard in passing. "When I get them, I hold my breath and try to swallow." Korra hiccuped. "But that method only seems to work for me and no one else. I guess everyone has their own idea of what cures them."

"Like making—_hic!_—noodles?" Korra asked. She sounded as though she were trying to make casual conversation, but the spasm of her stomach was distractingly obnoxious.

Still, Asami smiled at the parallel. "Yes, like making noodles."

"Oh, you know what you need to do?" Bolin added. "If you stand on your head and try to drink a whole bucket—"

"I'm not standing on my head." Korra snorted in protest.

"You could try gargling salt water?" Asami suggested, shrugging weakly. She never had any significant difficulty getting rid of hiccups.

"I know! You need to pull on your tongue, and then Pabu and I will—"

"Enough!" shouted Korra. She clenched her teeth and sighed heavily. She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "They'll go away on their own eventually." She punctuated the statement with another sudden chirp and a frustrated groan.

Asami waved a hand in Korra's direction. "Maybe it's being caused by stress."

"Can we talk about something else? _Please?_ This has been our topic for the last hour." _Hiccup!_

Asami shrugged gently, redirecting her attention to Bolin. "Well, what about you, Bolin? Is Ba Sing Se treating you well?"

"Oh man, is it!" The earthbender stood up straighter and put his hands on his hips, taking a proud stance. "Not to brag or anything, but I think that my experiences in Republic City and travelling the world in Kuvira's army opened my eyes to the greater truths out there. It's safe to say that, while I had once been a boy, I am now a man." He puffed his chest, rubbing curled fingers against his collar.

Asami giggled. "You know, I believe I've heard you say that before."

"Well, this time I really mean it!" he replied sincerely. "I have a big family to look after now. Aunts and uncles, cousins, grandmas, and a girlfriend. I've graduated to Bolin: Family Man. I'm a provider now. People need me." Pabu bounced in place on Bolin's shoulder, squeaking, as if to agree with his claim.

Asami nodded to the response. She stood more relaxed, though her eyes occasionally shot to Korra, who was still hiccuping at uneven intervals. The noise grew into the background at first, but was starting to grate more on her nerves. "Well, it's great to hear that things are working out for you."

"Oh, yeah, no, things are great." He tensed for a short moment, withdrawing in preparation for a more somber reveal. "But it's for that reason I can't stay for very long. I'm crashing here tonight and heading out in the morning." Korra spasmed again, causing Asami to miss something Bolin said. "I managed to work it out so I could pick up some supplies before heading back. It should be a big help."

"That's a shame," Asami sighed. "Maybe we can get together another—" _Hiccup!_ Asami turned to glare at Korra, an eyelid ticking angrily. "—time."

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe at the end of the winter season I'll have some free time." He paused, adding, "Of course, you and Korra are always welcome to come visit."

Asami nodded slowly. She thought that topic might come up. Though, it could be worth it to get out of Republic City for a change. "That's something I'd—" _Hiccup!_ Asami snapped. She gritted her teeth and turned on Korra, raising her voice. "Would you please stop doing that? I can't concentrate!"

The otherwise silent Korra turned her head, looking at the glaring Asami with disbelief. She took a breath, then stamped a foot on the wooden floor. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose! Why are you mad at me?"

The nonbender's aggressions swelled up in her body, seeping through her chest and into her arms. She clenched both hands and leaned forward. "Because you're selfish!"

Korra recoiled at the accusation. Her hiccups were gone at this point, from the shock, but now the girls were practically at each other's throats. "I'm—where is this coming from all of the sudden?"

Bolin stood in place, his eyes darting from Korra to Asami. He had a look of disbelief on his face, with both hands raised. "Hey, guys, I'm sure we can work this out."

"No, she's needed to hear this for a long time. You always try to do everything by yourself, Korra. What about us? When you ran away, it was so you could try and resolve all your problems without anyone's help. But that's what we're here for!"

"I don't like putting anyone else in danger!" Korra growled. "The only way I can keep my friends from getting hurt is to not get them involved."

"It doesn't work that way!" yelled Asami. She stood her ground now, her eyes fiercely intent on the Avatar in front of her. She poured all her pent-up emotions into the fight. She could feel her hands and body shaking. "You can't just act cold and dismissive and hope to push us away! We worry about you, Korra. When you drift, we chase you. We don't worry less, we worry _more!_"

Bolin cleared his throat to try and step in again. "Relax, Korra, Asami. I think we should start over here."

"There are certain things I have to handle by myself," Korra scowled.

"No! There aren't!" Asami thrust a hand forward, pointing aggressively at Korra. Despite the tone of the conversation, the flow of adrenaline felt good. She was glad to finally get so many things off her chest at once. "There's nothing that we can't help you with. You have to stop trying to carry the weight of the entire world by yourself!"

"You don't understand."

Uncomfortably, Bolin adjusted his feet and tried one more time to break up the argument. Asami could see from the corner of her eyes that he was worried and stressed, but she couldn't stop now. "Listen, girls. I think what we need—"

Asami tore through Bolin's narrative. "The only thing I need is to understand what goes on in her head! You can't seriously be this dense. All I've ever wanted was to help you." She clutched a hand tightly, brandishing it like a weapon.

"Asami—"

She shook her head, shutting her eyes. Her emotions were bubbling higher inside her, and she felt tears beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. She needed to get everything out before she collapsed. She opened her eyes again, glaring harshly. Her voice picked up in her throat, and she choked. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

Korra's eyes softened, and she started to back down. Her mouth opened and closed again. She began to look away when she spoke. "I had to be—You had responsibilities here, and—"

"I know damn well what my responsibilities were!" Asami screamed, working hard to hold in the tears that were trying to flow freely.

"I just needed to be alone for a while, okay?" Korra shouted back. She shied away when she said it, not putting near as much force behind the rebuttal this time.

"At some point you have to open up, Korra. I know you sometimes feel like you aren't making the right decisions, and that people won't approve of what you do. That's why you need us even more. Even though you're amazing, you have a self-esteem problem. You need to stop this."

Korra's eyes narrowed as she looked up. She was visibly shaking, and the last comments made her push back against the words more severely than ever before. She leaned in as she spoke, extending a hand to motion to herself, then slash at the air as if to say she was through with this fight. "I have a self-esteem problem? _Me?_ What about you, Asami? You're the one who can't even make any friends!"

Asami was knocked completely off her feet. All the weight and force in her stance weakened, and she snapped her eyes closed to keep from sobbing. She turned away, sliding her feet underneath herself. She hid her face quickly, so that neither of the benders could see. "I guess I can't," she whimpered quietly. She swung in place and began to move out of the room as fast as she could. A series of quick steps sent her toward the door, and in a flash she was outside, fleeing the building.

Behind her, she could only hear Bolin's voice for an instant. He became faint very quickly, and all she managed to make out was, "What was that about? Did I say something?"

Asami quickly ran down the stairs, moving as fast as her legs could carry her. She couldn't turn back and face either of her friends now. It was a terrible reunion, and did nothing to repair the pain she had been feeling in her chest. She heard a yelling in the distance, but she didn't look back. She knew it was Korra calling out to her, telling her to stop and to come back. She didn't.

She rapidly descended onto the dock, sliding across the wooden supports to her boat. She reached down, now actually thankful for the haphazard job she'd done tying it up. Unwinding the rope, she jumped into the boat and started it. She heard footsteps rapidly approaching, thumping loudly down the wooden pier, but she was committed to her escape. She pushed away from the dock, losing her breath when she used all her strength at once in a single shove. The boat peeled away from the shore, setting out into the open water within seconds.

Asami jetted away from Air Temple Island at full speed, barely managing to contain the sobs that were choking her. She brushed tears away from her cheeks with one hand before glancing into the rearview mirror. She saw Korra standing on the end of the dock, holding a hand into the air to hail her. In that moment, she knew Korra could use any one of the four elements to chase her. She could skate across the water on ice, or simply fly. But she stayed on the dock, watching Asami go. She lowered her hand, defeatedly, allowing Asami to disappear over the horizon.

Korra clearly understood, better than anyone, that Asami needed to be alone.


	8. Chapter 8: Asami Alone

Asami's eyes twitched somewhat when she began to stir. No light shined through the window, but she could feel her head starting to unfog from a night of uneventful dreams. She blinked her eyes completely open and sat up slowly. With a yawn, she reached outward and stretched out like a cat to work out the kinks in her limbs and spine.

Once completely unwound, Asami moved into a sitting position, resting on her knees. She rubbed at her eyes while working through the process of waking. She could still feel the dryness of evaporated tears on her cheeks. Despite the early hour, she felt fully rested and refreshed, most likely due to having crashed so soon in the previous day. Regardless, she curiously enjoyed the clearness of mind and energy that followed an evening spent crying oneself to sleep.

She shuffled her weight to the side of the bed, dropping her feet to the floor and moving to stand. Due to the darkness, she set about lighting the room and the nearby hall leading to the closest washroom. A relaxed dip in the shower finished the wake-up process, and afterward she wandered back to her room to dress. She picked through a number of options, deciding on a simple, unfussy outfit to suit the start of a new day. In order to kill more time, she made her way to the makeup counter and neatly applied a violet eyeshadow and a thin red lip shade.

Even with the additional vanity steps, Asami still saw no indication of light outside her window. She wouldn't be hungry for some time, and she had no reason to loiter around the mansion. The only remaining option was to take a ride and maybe clear her head. It would give her the time she needed to reflect on the events of the previous day, and the unfortunate argument with Korra at Air Temple Island.

She trotted away from the estate, hands in the pockets of the warm coat she'd selected from a rack near the front door. She first approached her car, but once beside it she wondered if she'd appreciate a more thrilling ride around town. Walking past the Satomobile, she instead returned to her motorcycle, not having touched it since she rode with Korra a few days past. She mused over the ride, finally deciding to lean down and flick the vehicle on. After putting on a helmet, she bounced into the seat and set off down the street.

Asami had no destination in mind, no real goal or intentions, merely a desire to drive. The roads were completely empty due to the time of day, and she used the opportunity as an excuse to let her thoughts wander. She hoped that Bolin and Korra would still talk to her. Despite the mean things she'd said out of anger, she didn't intend to actually break off any relationships. She hated ditching Bolin as a side-effect of her fight with Korra, but she did know Bolin to be kind and forgiving. She'd write him a letter at next opportunity. Still, she needed to get a grip on her emotional state and understand why exactly she'd been so deeply troubled in the last week, and so very unstable around Korra. Until then, she was in no condition to be around friends.

She was lonely, of course, but that was no excuse. She needed to take special care to ensure that she didn't allow her loneliness to turn into bitterness. If anything, the argument only served to push her friends further away. Exactly the sort of thing she accused Korra of doing. Asami felt heartbroken thinking of how her words must have impacted the Avatar. If Korra said those kinds of things to her, well, best not to think about it.

While driving, Asami began to formulate an apology to Korra. Maybe she'd wait for an opportunity to drop by and visit Air Temple Island when Korra was there. Although, the island was so far out of the way that it would be obvious what her intentions were. Being able to have an excuse for being there, and acting like nothing happened, might work, but more likely she'd have to be honest and admit she came to say sorry. Korra was unlikely to buy any "I was in the neighborhood" excuses.

Asami did say the things she felt needed to be heard. Some of those words she didn't intend to take back. In the moment, putting so many of her thoughts and emotions into sentences was invigorating, even if it eventually resulted in a tearful breakdown. Korra was being selfish, but perhaps so was she. Even if she painted every scenario as if she were selflessly trying to look out for Korra, there was more to it than that. Ever since Korra came close to dying, Asami had a realization about how much she simply needed Korra. As much as she did want to help and protect Korra from further harm — and what a good job she did of that by screaming at her — she knew that she needed Korra as much as Korra needed her.

That need still haunted her. The sensation grew more in the last few weeks, and at the moment made her emotionally unstable. She couldn't get through to Korra, and couldn't accurately express what she was going through. And, in actuality, she still didn't understand exactly what she felt. Other than availability, she didn't know why Korra. And she didn't know why she was so acutely attached.

She sped down the street, taking one of the more scenic back-routes that she'd help build in the last couple years. While she couldn't see much with the sun down, the view of waterfront property did usher in pleasant memories. She veered away from the straightaway and began to take a more direct route across town. There was one place she wanted to visit. Asami had a destination now: Avatar Korra Park.

The stroll across the city was relaxed and pleasant. She thought again of the first time taking Korra out, and how the Avatar must have felt. Korra stayed quiet for most of the ride. What was she thinking? Where was her mind wandering? Was she merely afraid the entire time? Asami couldn't help but wonder. If only she could actually get inside Korra's head and finally understand her.

Circling the block to find a spot to park close to water, Asami finally came to a halt just off the grass. She dismounted and hung her helmet on a handlebar. Tossing her hair around her shoulders, she then traipsed over the short grass to the nearby pond. There were many memories tied to this park. Not just the recent visit with Korra in which the bender attempted to teach her how to fish, but the park was also where she came when trying to work through her relationship with her father.

Asami paced in a slow circle by the water's edge. Trying to understand the obsession taxed her mind and gave her a great deal of stress. But she had the entire day to work on it, and the sun wasn't even up yet. Surely such a brilliant engineer could analyze the data and reach a logical conclusion. Right?

After circling for several minutes, she moved closer to the pond and crouched next to it. Easing into a more comfortable position, she folded her legs underneath herself and sat. A hand idly picked up a nearby rock, working it around in her palm. The stone was mostly round and smooth; ideal for skipping. Winding her arm back, she flowed into a quick throwing motion. The rock sailed across the water, bouncing once, twice, three times before sinking. Three times? She could do better than that. She leaned to one side, picking up a second rock, and prepared to throw it.

"All right, lady. Just hand over all your yuans and this can be nice and easy." The sound came from behind her; a gruff and assertive male voice. Asami's head turned to look over her shoulder. Though still dark, she could easily make out the figure of a man in loose clothing, wearing a dusty brown jacket and a derby hat. He held a knife in one hand, with his legs wide apart in a careless and unpracticed stance.

Asami squinted, taking a moment to grasp the reality of the situation. Her back was to the mugger, but he was several steps away. Far enough away that she didn't feel particularly threatened. "Um, no?" she replied, bemused.

"Listen here—" the man started to say. He pushed forward and advanced upon her, brandishing the knife to one side. The moment he drew close enough, Asami leaned her weight to her side, placing a hand in the grass to support her motion. She swung quickly around, extending one leg out from underneath herself to sweep completely under the man. With the rotation, Asami took out one foot and threw him completely off balance, and in the same motion she used the momentum to bring herself to her feet. While she stood up, he went down, dropping the knife in the grass.

Asami put her hands in her pockets, still clutching the rock in one palm. Staring down at the man on his back, she tried to glare him into submission. But she couldn't catch his eye. Instead, she watched as he rolled over from his back and reached again for the knife a short distance away. She extended her left leg with a whiplike snap, kicking his hand away from the weapon. As soon as the leg lowered and her toes touched the ground, she shifted all of her weight onto it. She continued the motion through to her other leg, elevating it until her thigh was parallel to the ground. When her knee straightened, her shoe struck the man in the upper chest, sending him tumbling.

Once again she stood calmly, hands in her coat, waiting for him to make the next move. At this point, she expected him to get up and run away, assuming he had any sense. She was in control of the fight, and to drive the point home, she put one foot on top of the knife. She waited quietly for his surrender, watching as he returned to his feet. He shot her a mean expression, and she picked up a lingering confidence that she found terribly suspicious. He stepped into a more recognizable, but still sloppy stance, with both hands tightened into fists. Then, he threw a punch in her direction, igniting the air around his hand. He followed through, leaning his shoulder into the motion as he created a large fireball and launched it at Asami.

Her eyes went wide upon the realization that he had a backup plan past the knife. A swirling orb of flames now advanced upon her. She had merely fended off his attacks at first, casually disrupting his strikes with very little effort. But she was forced to take him seriously as a firebender. Adrenaline flared through her, making the exploding fire slow its approach. She watched it drawing nearer, taking only a split second to analyze her possible movements. If down, it might not clear her, and back would keep her in its path. She quickly decided. Her knees bent, and she wrenched to her left side, her body twisting as she entered a backward freefall.

Though it bruised her ego, she had to remove her hands from her pockets to complete the movement. She fell leisurely as the fireball drifted by in slow motion. For the brief moment it passed by, she could feel the heat on her face, and worried that it might singe her hair. The rotation of her spin continued until she nearly hit the ground. Her left hand dropped to catch her fall and aid the uninterrupted turn. At this point, her back was to the mugger, but she came back around again with added momentum. Her eyes flew forward when her body pivoted in a complete circle.

Having preserved all the energy from the twirl, her right arm rotated back around, swinging forward with the same fluid motion that Korra showed her how to do only a few days back. She released her fingertips, sending the round stone from her hand just like the ice spears. The rock launched expertly from her hand, spinning on its intended path and striking the man in the center of the forehead. She heard it hit with a loud _thunk_. He clenched his eyes shut and grasped his face with both hands, howling in pain. The instant he took his eyes off her, she bolted, closing the distance between them to firmly grasp his chest with her right hand. But nothing happened.

_No!_ She forgot that she wasn't actually wearing an electrified glove! So used to fighting with one on, she had intended to down him right then and there. But she hadn't anticipated any attacks, and wasn't wearing it. How could she be that careless? _Stupid!_

The man felt the hand on his chest and forced his eyes open. Asami removed her grip as swiftly as she could and stepped away. Due to the close proximity, she tightened her stance in very close, both arms pulled in with shoulders raised. When he brought a fist up to swing at her, she easily parried it with the back of her hand. Deflected, his motion turned away from both of them, forcing flames harmlessly into the air.

Despite being able to bend fire, the man clearly had no formal training. His assault was slow and easy to follow with the eyes. She allowed him to strike once more, waiting for him to extend his arm enough that his balance would be easy to tip. She sidestepped neatly around him, raising her foot to issue a precise strike to the back of his knee, causing him to fall into the grass and onto his face. She backed further away, colliding with her bike. A hand reached out desperately and felt along the contour of the vehicle to the snap-open compartment. While her eyes stayed on the fallen man, she pulled a shock glove from the bike's storage box and slipped it on. The man was starting to pick himself up when Asami lunged and slapped her palm to the small of his back. A powerful jolt of electricity sparked through the glove and into his body, ending it. He collapsed.

Asami stood up straight, waiting for the arcs of energy to die down in the glove before starting to remove it. She exhaled heavily, heart settling from the brief action. The increased blood flow was invigorating, but it wasn't enough of a workout to actually break a sweat. With the mugger out cold, she turned to pull on the hand radio connected to her motorcycle. Back when her father worked with the Equalists, he put a police radio in every vehicle. Asami continued the tradition, only now that Future Industries was a clean business, she instead worked with officers instead of trying to avoid them. Being best friends with the Avatar strengthened her credibility, of course.

She clicked the broadcast button, holding the small device close to her mouth. "This is Asami Sato, requesting police assistance." She waited for several seconds. Though early in the day, someone was supposed to always be standing by, regardless of the time. Anyway, at this point the sun was threatening to come up. The office would be open.

After a pause, a sleepy male voice spoke through the radio. Not one she recognized, but it could realistically be one of many different officers on duty. "This is headquarters. What do you need help with, Miss Sato?"

"Some guy tried to mug me in the park. Is Lin available?"

"Uh, no. The chief hasn't come in yet. She should be arriving shortly, though." Asami actually felt relieved; she'd be able to get out of doing paperwork and interviews if Lin wasn't there to make everything painstakingly official. "Wait, someone tried to mug you? Poor guy probably didn't know who you were. How did that work out for him?"

Asami turned her head, looking to the body collapsed nearby. "Not well. I shocked him into unconsciousness, so he should be out for about an hour. You should send someone to pick him up. We're next to the bridge on the east side."

"Roger that. Will you be able to make a statement?" the voice crackled.

Asami groaned, but pressed through the conversation. "No, I have somewhere else I'd rather be. If you need anything, you can have someone stop by the mansion later today." Asami hoped she was high-profile enough that she could bend a few rules. She was easy to track down, and the police should be more than capable of getting information out of the crook himself.

The voice on the other end of the radio hesitated to respond. No doubt considering his options, being caught somewhere between Asami and protocol. After a few seconds, it spoke again. "I'll handle it."

"Thanks. Sato out." Asami returned the radio to its clip and stuffed the glove back into the bike. She took one final look at the unconscious man in the grass, realizing she shouldn't leave his weapon out in the open. She hopped across the grass and dipped low enough to pick up the knife. Returning to her bike, she stashed it in the box with the glove, then jumped onto the motorcycle. Ordinarily she'd stay behind and make a formal statement, and make sure the assailant was processed, but her mind was much too rattled to endure the dull blur of the interview procedures. She revved the bike and pulled onto the street.

With daylight beginning to show over the horizon, she had a new destination in mind. A simple place nearby, where she could stop to take a break and loosen up. She still had things to go over in her head, and something to drink would help that process. She pulled into a spot by the road, hopping free of the bike to approach the small shop. The tea place had a proper name, but due to the cat face logo on the building, Korra always called it the "Kitty Cafe." The name stuck, and now Asami couldn't imagine calling it anything else.

Asami pushed through the front door to the sound of a jingling bell announcing her presence. She stopped at the metal rack in front, lifting a newspaper from it to pour over while sitting. She wandered to the smallest table she could find, seating herself. Skipping over a weather report about upcoming cold weather, she eyed an advertisement for Satomobiles, double-checking the details to make sure no one in marketing was making the company look foolish. It looked accurate.

In the middle of a census article, a server passed by the table. "Good morning, Miss Sato. The usual?" a female voice called from above.

Asami frequented the tea shop often enough that she was used to the speedy and polite service. And she didn't even need to order, most of the time. The personable staff recognized her and knew in advance what type of tea she preferred. "Yes, ma'am, thank you."

Left alone again, the nonbender flipped through the various pages of the paper. Sports updates on who was winning the current pro-bending season, political information on upcoming elections, a review section for new restaurants in town. Halfway through a piece on current fashion trends, Asami noticed the server returning and placing a saucer and cup on the other end of the table for the empty chair. She lifted her head only to see a second cup of tea placed in front of herself. Blinking in confusion, she looked up at the woman, who smiled. "Your friend running late today, Miss Sato?" she asked, pointing to the second cup of tea she'd delivered to the table.

Asami's eyes dilated when she focused on the extra teacup. It clicked that she'd never really been to the shop without Korra in tow. The server must have expected that she was meeting Korra here, and brought the usual tea for the both of them. "I—um—yeah," she sputtered.

The server offered a sweet smile along with words of encouragement. "I'm sure she'll be along soon." The woman turned to walk away, leaving Asami by herself.

She stared at the empty spot on the other side of the table, which now felt very far away. Her heart sank, realizing how alone she was at the table, and how much she missed Korra. She diverted her gaze to her own cup, suddenly not feeling well enough to enjoy it. She slowly stood, reaching into a pocket to produce a slender wallet. She dropped a handful of pink bills on the table, enough to pay for five cups of tea, as an apology for not having stayed. She quietly collected herself, returned her hands to her pockets, and slipped outside.

Asami drifted back to her bike, picking up the helmet hanging from the back. She stalled beside the vehicle, dwelling on the thoughts in her head. On both her desire to see Korra again, and her lack of progress in understanding why. And, so far, neither of the activities she picked gave her any chance to try and work things out.

She raised the helmet over her head, sliding it on and giving it a simple adjustment. The best course of action for now was to get some peace and quiet. Once free of distractions, she might actually get something done. She turned the motorcycle onto the main road, setting a course for home.

Now solidly into morning, Asami had a few more cars to contend with on the road. She'd be glad to get out of the traffic and somewhere much quieter. The fact that Bolin would already be on his way back to Ba Sing Se at this time of day also entered her mind. She really couldn't apologize enough for her behavior. Hopefully at least Korra and Bolin enjoyed the rest of the evening.

By the time she pulled into the Sato mansion, she had it in her mind to write Bolin a letter. After parking and taking off her coat once inside, she searched the drawers and cabinets in the front area to find something to write on. She plucked through a number of professional papers and envelopes with the Future Industries logo on them before finding plain paper to work with. She collected a brush and ink, mentally composing the letter on the way back to her room.

She flopped onto the bed, bouncing once and then settling on her knees after kicking her shoes to the floor. She began to write. "Dear Bolin. I wanted to write to you to apologize. The fight Korra and I had was—" She stopped. She looked at the paper, tilting her head at the words, unsure of what to say next. Furrowing her brows, she tapped the brush on the side side of her leg, and sighed.

She stared blankly at the wall for several minutes before coming to. She glanced at the paper and the unfinished note. Though she didn't know what to write, a small memory began to brew in her head. She pushed the letter to Bolin aside and dropped onto her hands, crawling to the side of the bed. She reached down tentatively, taking hold of a box she'd kept hidden. Dragging it slowly out, she hoisted it up onto the sheets and plopped it down. It was an intricate wooden box, small but decorated. A stylized carving of a lion turtle's head dominated the front. She raised the lid, looking inside at the collected papers.

Asami reached in with one hand, lifting letter after letter. Three years ago, when Korra left, she'd written to the Avatar many times, but barely received any response. She meticulously made copies of every letter sent, and kept one of each in this box. She scanned each one, shuffling the untouched letters and sorting them by date sent. Once organized, she held the earliest one in front of herself, reading it silently.

"Dear Korra,

I miss you. It's not the same in Republic City without you. How are you feeling? Things are going well here. I just got a big contract to help redesign the city's infrastructure, so I'll be keeping pretty busy for a while. I promise to keep writing and let you know about anything important that's going on. Say hello to everyone there for me. I'll see you soon!

Asami"

Asami sighed as she looked over the paper. At the time she remained hopeful, believing that Korra would only be gone for a few weeks at most. Asami did keep busy, and she made good on her promise to write, but Korra didn't return her letters for a long time. She set the note aside and picked up the next one.

"Dear Korra,

Sorry I've been too busy to write you again. After weeks of planning, we finally have crews working on the roads. I've moved on to the more exciting job of updating the city's rail station. By the time this project is done, we'll be more connected to the rest of the world than ever before. I feel like I'm finally turning my company around. I wish you could see it. Please let me know how you're doing. I worry about you.

Asami"

Lowering the second letter, Asami frowned at herself. The timeframe on the second letter was close to when she started to suspect Korra might not be coming back anytime soon. In addition to simply not hearing anything back from the Avatar, she just knew that whatever sickness Korra was suffering from, Katara should have been able to get her back on her feet by now, if it was at all possible. Asami breathed more slowly, knowing that the tone and the desperation only picked up as the letters went. She reached for the third.

"Dear Korra,

I have amazing news! They're renaming the park after you, and placing a statue in your honor. I can't wait for you to come see it. I'm so excited for you. It's taken a long time, but I think people are finally starting to realize how important you are to the world. I know it's been hard, but I've always believed in you. I want to see you again so badly, so please get well soon. If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask.

Asami"

She dropped the letter into the pile at her side. Asami felt chills beginning to build inside her body. Reflecting on the letters now, she recalled precisely how sad she was, having not heard anything back. How frightened she was, each day wondering if she'd find out Korra would never be able to walk again. She shakily moved on to the next letter in the stack.

"Dear Korra,

It seems like you've been gone forever, but it's only been a year. Things have slowly changed here in Republic City. The streets look so much nicer, and we're on schedule to finish the tram lines in another two years. I really have to thank you. I don't think anything would have worked out this well if you hadn't been here for all of us. Everyone here really misses you. I've been making a list of places to take you out to eat when you get back, and I have so many new things I want to show you. It's been hard for me without you here. But I know I'll be able to see you soon, and that helps me keep going.

Asami"

Asami slowly leaned back on the bed, bumping her head against the wall several times, listening to the hollow thump the contact made. She started to realize, by reading each note, just how much she needed Korra. All of her thoughts and emotions were laid out on these pages. She flipped to the next letter, remembering it as the last one she sent before she'd lost all faith in having any return messages. She attempted to reach out and find a way to contact Korra and get her to respond. She thought that maybe Korra just couldn't speak her mind, or didn't feel comfortable communicating. But she wanted to stay in touch with her in some way. And at this point, she was convinced that Korra would be gone for a long time. She started reading.

"Dear Korra,

It's been really quiet here lately and the lack of action is driving me crazy. Everyone is busy, and I have a lot of free time now that my projects are fully in motion. I miss having you around to bust criminals with. Since we can't do that, I thought we could at least keep in touch by playing long-distance Pai Sho. I know you don't know how to play, but I can send you a rulebook and we can take turns sending our moves to each other. I promise to go easy on you until you get the hang of it. Please write me back.

Asami"

Gently banging her head against the wall, Asami started to lay the letter down. In an unusual way, she began to understand herself by reading through the letters. She felt a strange, yet foreboding urge to continue reading. Especially since she knew the next one was from Korra. But she needed to keep going. She picked up the letter.

"Dear Asami,

I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner, but every time I've tried, I never knew what to say. The past two years have been the hardest of my life. Even though I can get around fine now, I still can't go into the Avatar state. I keep having visions of Zaheer and what happened that day. Katara thinks a lot of this is in my head, so I've been meditating a lot. But sometimes I worry I'll never fully recover. Please don't tell Mako and Bolin I wrote to you and not them. I don't want to hurt their feelings, but it's easier to tell you about this stuff. I don't think they'd understand.

Korra"

Asami held her breath. She dropped the letter, allowing it to fall like a leaf from a tree. When she first saw it, addressed from the South Pole, she was incredibly overjoyed. Even now, her heart sank in her chest at the glimmer of closeness she felt for Korra. She would get Korra to open up, or so she thought at the time. She quickly reached for the next letter, against her better judgment. She knew it only got worse from here.

"Dear Korra,

I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm relieved to find out that you can move around again. I was so worried. I know it's been difficult for you, but you're the strongest and bravest person I know. I know you can pull through this. I want you to know how much your friends love and support you. You will get better, and it'll be like old times again. Just focus hard on your recovery, and we'll see each other again soon. And don't worry, I won't say anything to the guys. Get better, Korra.

Asami"

Tears began to well in Asami's eyes. She could barely continue. She started to understand more clearly just what the letters spelled out. The thought of losing Korra was unbearable, and now that she knew she was getting better, she couldn't stand to be apart. She sniffed quietly, blinking water from her eyelashes. She pulled her legs in closer, tucking them against her chest, while her free hand pressed to her face. She didn't know it at the time, but the last letter had been sent when Korra left home and set out by herself, and no one knew where she was. Trembling, she picked up the last letter, the last confession.

"Dear Korra,

I just got the news. You're going to be back in Republic City! I don't know if you'll get this letter before you leave, but I couldn't wait to write you again. I'm very eager to see you. Everyone's going to be here to greet you. I have so much to tell you about, and we have so much to catch up on. You should know I'm proud of you for pulling through and getting better. I always knew you would. As hard as it may have been, everything's going to be okay now. I'll be waiting for you.

Asami"

Asami clenched her eyes, whimpering to herself. She dropped her hand to keep from tightening her fist around the letter, unable to damage the precious artifact that so clearly explained her feelings. She felt so very stupid. Stupid for not realizing sooner. How could she have missed it? The words practically leapt off the page. A mixture of momentary relief and renewed fear coiled a painful knot in her stomach. She could barely breathe. She didn't know how to proceed. And the new challenges presented could be even worse than the horrible turmoil of not understanding her obsession with Korra. The fear of the unknown was instead replaced with fear of rejection. She clutched a hand against her face, her breath shaking as she scolded herself for only just now having clarity. "Dammit Asami," she choked. She was angry at herself. And now she knew why. "You have feelings for her. _You're in love with her._"


	9. Chapter 9: Small Talk

Korra bolted upright with gasping, ragged breath. Her eyes snapped wide open, and she raised both hands from her sides to clutch her face. A light sheen of sweat clung to her body. Several agonizing seconds passed while Korra tried to breathe. She felt as though the wind was knocked out of her, completely unable to inhale. She writhed, uncomfortably, until finally she felt the function of her lungs restored. She managed a weighted sigh of relief. One hand elevated to lay across her forehead, and she promptly flopped backward into the sheets. The impact made her bounce, shaking droplets of water from her skin.

Another nightmare. By now, a common occurrence, even if they were less frequent and powerful than three years ago. Closing her eyes and mouth, Korra forced herself to breathe through her nose, regulating each breath to calm her nerves. Placating turbulent emotions became something of a morning routine for Korra, and though she still found herself suffering, meditation and experience helped to ease the pain. Laying in her bed, Korra cracked her eyelids enough to see. She gazed into the ceiling, trying to make sense of the frightening visions.

It was Amon again. Logically, she knew he died, but dreams always found a way to make her fear the impossible. She was running, no longer willing or able to fight the man. She fled down hallways, only to witness him turn the corner. She raced up a spiral staircase, running from his shadow which pursued her on the wall. She ran until there was nowhere left to go, and then she hid. When he caught up to her, he walked slowly but purposefully toward her hiding place, as if he knew. He dragged her into the open, exposing her, making her vulnerable. He yanked her arm with such strength that she felt the pain of her shoulder dislocating. Korra struggled, but she was weak. He forced her to kneel, and then he took her bending away.

Amon's process was straightforward and practiced. He seized a handful of Korra hair, painfully pulling her head back. He then placed a thumb against her forehead, channeling some form of frightful energy through her core. She felt it boil her insides and ignite every nerve in her body. She was paralyzed, unable to fight back as Amon slowly separated her from her abilities. She felt his will cutting through her like a knife. Through the blood rushing in her ears, she heard a sickening snap when her connection to each element was removed, one after the other. First water, her native element. Then earth and fire. And lastly, air, leaving her with nothing. She collapsed to the floor in a heap. And then she woke up.

Korra eventually extended a hand overhead, snapping her fingers to create a spark of flames. She then twirled her hand in the air, similarly testing her ability to generate gusts of wind. Korra didn't know why she still feared losing her bending. But she vividly remembered what it was like to be without it. Until that point, bending was Korra's entire world. She was the Avatar. To lose it was to lose her entire self; her entire identity and purpose. She genuinely believed she couldn't go on. In a big way she envied Asami, the brilliant nonbender she was, never showing fear in the face of powerful enemies.

It was Asami that Korra thought of when she first lost her bending several years ago. Korra was a shell of her former self, unsure of how to proceed or what to do. At the time she only thought of her legacy. _Korra, the worst Avatar of all time._ The only Avatar to have her bending taken away, and to be unable to do anything to help the world. But there was a time between the disaster and her recovery in which she thought she could be more like Asami. Asami was brave in standing up to her father, and never let a lack of bending slow her down. She wondered how she could be more like that. How she might emulate the impressive woman. Asami Sato, who—

Korra stopped herself. Thinking of Asami forced her to remember the fight two days prior. She clicked her teeth and lowered her raised hand, slapping it across her face. Why did she have to fight with Asami? It was such a stupid thing to do. The last person in the entire world she wanted to upset was her. The last three years were very difficult for Korra, but she knew they were hard on Asami, too. Asami was there to take care of her when she couldn't walk. The woman was her only pen pal when she went home — if severe emotional withdrawal resulting in a single letter sent could be considered a pen pal. She was always there to talk or vent to. And she always put Korra's needs before her own. As a reward for all her care and loyalty, Korra saw fit to drive Asami away. She felt terrible.

Deciding to move, Korra sat up straighter and dropped her legs over the side of the bed. She felt miserable from the lack of actual sleep. She hoped Asami was able to fare better in that department. Korra tried to give Asami her space, allowing her a day to deal with her troubles. But now, Korra wasn't actually sure which one of the two should be the first to apologize. No doubt Asami felt just as bad about the fight. Maybe she hadn't slept well either. Korra rubbed the side of her head, taking notice of the lack of light illuminating the room. Another sleepless night, waking at odd hours. She started to wonder if either of them would ever return to normal sleep schedules. She could really use a full night's rest.

Korra wanted to believe Asami would allow her to say she's sorry. But maybe she didn't deserve to be forgiven. She imagined all the times she pushed the nonbender away. Asami was right, of course. Korra tried to do everything herself, to protect her friends. But it was unfair to them, and disingenuous. She needed to apologize to Asami. And hope that Asami would forgive her. It was almost funny, how often Korra felt the weight of the entire world on her shoulders, and yet all she cared about at the moment was the opinion of one raven-haired girl.

Groaning heavily, Korra dipped her head forward and hopped off the bed to start looking for something to wear. Pulled out of her sleep, she wore only a white tank top and a pair of shorts. If she was to venture out into the chilly night air, she needed something better. Moving in the dark proved difficult, and Korra nearly tripped on discarded shoes before remembering she could brighten the room by holding a small flame in her palm. Although, juggling fire while putting on clothes was a new challenge all by itself.

The room Tenzin provided for Korra at Air Temple Island offered significantly fewer options for clothing. Certainly not the large selection of outfits she had access to at the Sato mansion. She found it odd to think she might miss having more choices than she could possibly utilize. But something about picking between outfit A and outfit B felt underwhelming. She plucked the warmer option from the rack and changed into it. Once dressed, she combed her hair as well as a person could be expected to when using only fingers.

Korra pushed back the sliding door to her room enough to slip into the hallway. She clenched her teeth, trying to stay quiet and tiptoe to keep from waking anyone. Not that the building wanted to cooperate; each step on the wooden floor creaked far more than she remembered it ever doing. She moved slower with each pace, but the harder she tried to step lightly, the more noise it made. She carefully made her way to the nearest door, reaching out to a storage shelf to grab her collapsed air glider.

"Korra?"

She jumped, her fingers releasing the glider. It fell, banging loudly against the floor, generating a resounding clatter through the echoing hallway. Korra winced as the sound sent a sharp pang through her eardrums. She looked for the source of the voice, an embarrassed grimace on her face. She concentrated on a figure nearby. A smaller shape with short brown hair and a blue arrow prominently displayed on her forehead. Korra sighed with relief.

"Jinora. Sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't," the younger girl replied. "Well, not exactly. I noticed you were having another nightmare. I thought I'd check up on you." Jinora stepped closer, bending down and scooping the air glider off the floor, handing it helpfully back to Korra.

Korra relaxed, turning to more fully face the airbender and address her. She accepted the folded staff with a nod of her head. "Thanks." Afterward, she made sure to clutch the glider with both hands, easing her back into the wall. Her nose scrunched with the news of her dreams becoming public knowledge. "Was I making that much noise?" she asked apologetically.

"No. Actually, I sort of sensed it from the other room. When you're distressed, you tend to have a very unstable spiritual energy," she explained. Jinora had a timid manner of speak, usually very shy when going into details about her abilities.

Korra smiled weakly. "That sounds like me." She released the air glider with one hand, reaching forward to place her palm on Jinora's shoulder. "You have such a strong spiritual connection. I envy that. And I appreciate you looking out for me. I just need to work some things out."

"Well, what's troubling you? Maybe I can help," Jinora offered. She clasped her hands together in front of herself, rocking in place on her toes. Korra couldn't tell if she was merely being helpful, or if she knew something and didn't want to elaborate.

Korra frowned, but decided it might be good to discuss some of her problems more openly for a change. That was one of the things Asami scolded her about, right? She removed her hand from Jinora's shoulder and leaned back into the wall. "Right now what's bothering me is that I was mean to Asami for no reason other than frustration. She was telling me something I needed to hear, and I snapped at her."

Jinora hummed as if trying to analyze the discussion. She posed with fingertips under her chin, squinting her eyes. "She's your best friend, isn't she?" Jinora asked.

Korra agreed with a short nod. "If anyone is."

"Is that where you're going now?"

Korra twisted her lips to one side. She studied Jinora for a long moment in an attempt to decode her thoughts. She expected to be told not to run off in the middle of the night. Something about thinking through what to say, or to make decisions based on logic rather than raw emotion. But Korra felt restless, and couldn't accept that answer. "Do you think I shouldn't?" she asked curiously.

"Actually," Jinora began with a shrug, "I think you should go. If it's worrying you this much, she's probably feeling the same thing. There's no sense in putting it off if it's something you both want. It's not a good idea to suppress your feelings."

Korra's heart sank, imagining Asami feeling the same stress. She became worried, and even more restless. But she appreciated the advice. She was wrong about what Jinora would tell her. She smiled appreciatively, tipping into a polite bow. "You're going to be as wise as your father one of these days."

Jinora visibly brightened, speaking in a timid voice. "Thanks."

Feeling a renewed vigor after the pep-talk, Korra turned away. She pulled on the door leading outside, pausing in the doorway and glancing over her shoulder to the young airbender. "Thank you, Jinora. I feel much better." She pushed through to outside, increasing her pace into a run. Throwing the glider into the air, the wings snapped open, and she jumped into it, taking to the air.

Far below, she could hear Jinora calling out to her. "Good luck, Korra!" The voice was encouraging, but rapidly faded into the distance until it was no more. She soared with the aid of the glider, bending air currents around the fan-like wings to achieve lift. She pushed herself higher and higher, until she could see Republic City stretched out in front of her eyes. She drifted easily over the large body of water separating Air Temple Island from the mainland, entering the city's airspace.

The city looked beautiful at night. Streets and buildings stayed dark with only the occasional light to guide the way. Korra could make out faint details and identify some structures. But she knew no one was moving below. Not at this time of day. In a sense, she could feel a lingering loneliness. She began to experience the paradoxical sensation of being entirely alone in a heavily populated area. She knew the buildings housed hundreds or more, but she was in no way connected to them. The emptiness was almost unbearable. It was similar to the void she felt in her stomach when by herself in Asami's mansion. Tiny, and hopelessly lost in an overwhelming maze.

Nervousness swelled in Korra's chest. She didn't enjoy the feeling of being alone. Somehow, Korra always felt the support of those around her. But pushing Asami away caused her to be disconnected from those emotional bonds. She needed to restore them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the light in the darkness below her. Korra dropped suddenly. Her feet stretched toward the ground, and she began to force air around the wings to transition into a cushioned fall. She quickly descended upon catching sight of the Sato estate underfoot. She tilted the wings of the airbending staff, spiraling into a landing. She hit the ground in a jog, collapsing the wings of the wooden pole.

Small lights dimly illuminated the courtyard. Korra walked along grass and onto stone tablets. Anxiousness flared within her, coming within sight of the front door. She increased her speed, making her way to it with building excitement. Upon arrival, she leaned her staff against the doorframe and reached to knock. But she stopped herself short. What did she intend to say? When Asami answered, how would she greet her? She came all this way, motivated by emotion, only now to realize there was no plan.

But she couldn't give up now, and she couldn't walk away. She reached out, impulsively, striking the door with bare knuckles. She startled herself with the movement, a mild panic now working its way through her spine. She still needed something to say. Her mind switched into overdrive. _Hello Asami, how are you? Asami, I came to say something important. Asami, you're looking nice. I need to speak with you. We should_—

Korra heard movement beyond the door. She stiffened, swallowing a lump in her throat and waiting to see Asami for the first time in two days. The door opened a crack, allowing a pair of eyes to observe her for a brief moment. Korra stood back as the figure moved and opened the door completely. She let her jaw go slack, about to speak when she locked eyes with a male sporting a dull expression. A stuffy-looking man with a thin moustache in a sleek and expensive suit. "Yes, how may I help you?" he asked.

Korra raised an eyebrow, bewildered. She looked around, at the man and at the building. Her cheeks began to glow pink, sheepishly placing a hand on the back of her head in apology. "Oh, I—I must have the wrong mansion?"

The man retreated from the doorway with a parting nod, reaching to close it. Korra spun on her heel, pacing across the porch to leave. How did she mistake this mansion for Asami's? Was this an identical property? Was she on the wrong side of the city? Also, why was this man even awake at this hour?

She halted her steps, the gears in her head sliding into place. She reversed direction, lunging back to the entryway to shove a boot into the path of the closing door. It stopped abruptly against the side of her foot, sending a sharp pain up her leg. She sucked air through her teeth and squinted, but pushed on through the discomfort. "Wait a moment, this is the Sato estate, isn't it?" In her surprise, Korra forgot that Asami employed staff to do things like answer the door while she slept.

The man swiveled his head, glancing at Korra with a sedated expression. He placed a hand gently upon the door, charitably pulling it away from her foot. "It is, ma'am, but I'm afraid Miss Sato is resting. I can take a message for her, unless you would prefer to return in the morning."

Korra withdrew her leg, bending it at the knee and trying to rub the sides of her foot through the fabric of her boot. It only offered a mild relief for the discomfort. "I need to speak with her," she insisted.

The servant shot her a sideways expression, somewhere between puzzlement and annoyance. He clearly had a job to do, and Korra was making it difficult. "I would be happy to pass along any news you have as soon as she wakes."

Korra's eyelid twitched. She didn't come all the way from Air Temple Island to be turned away. She planted both feet firmly to take a more commanding stance and lifted her voice into a stern tone. "It's important. I need to talk to her now. Please fetch her for me." She stared at the man for several seconds before raising her hands and making a fluttering motion with her fingers, trying to usher him away. When he still didn't move, she growled under her breath and spoke louder. "Listen, I'm the Avatar. It's Avatar business type stuff."

The two stared at each other. Korra refused to back down in the face of the awkward silence. The butler finally spoke up. "And you wish for me to wake her for you, ma'am? Apologies, but, I don't believe I can fulfill that request."

"My name is Korra, and I—Look, can you just get her? Please? If she gets mad, just tell her it was my idea." She pointed past his shoulder, attempting once again to convince him to leave.

This time, he did. He shrugged, then gave a curt bow before turning away. "As you wish, ma'am." He closed the door completely, and Korra caught a glimpse of movement through the nearest window.

Korra glared, waiting for him to disappear out of view. She crossed her arms to pout, repeating his words to herself in a mocking voice. "As you wish, ma'am. My name is Moustache Man and I can't recognize the Avatar when I see her." She blew a raspberry and huffed.

Though kept waiting for a number of minutes, Korra did have time to cool off. When she picked up the sounds of approach, she unfolded her arms and looked hopefully at the door. It opened, and Korra's face immediately brightened. There in the doorway, wearing a red nightgown and black slippers, was Asami. A sleepy Asami, yes, but it was her. The heiress had tousled hair and was rubbing a delicate hand underneath one eye. She squinted, struggling with the persistent grasp of sleep. She looked to be in a complete daze, until suddenly her eyes stretched wide and locked onto Korra's face. Korra felt her heart jump in her chest, startled by the abrupt reaction.

Korra wanted to speak. She never did decide on what needed to be said, but staring at a surprised Asami only stupefied her instead of inspiring her. She prepared to talk, to open her mouth and stumble over words nervously, only to be cut short. Asami leaned into her hard, throwing both arms around her shoulders. She felt the other woman's tight cling, and it began to relax the muscles in her body one by one. Korra's eyelids drooped, then closed. She elevated both hands to Asami's upper back and squeezed, completing the embrace. An ocean of memories and experiences came flooding back. Through reexposure, she remembered Asami's warmth, and the softness of her skin, and the almost imperceptible floral scent of the day's nearly exhausted perfume.

Both girls were silent for many long seconds. Korra didn't move except to release a much-needed sigh of relief. So much tension knotted up in her body, very carefully unwound by Asami's unspoken forgiveness. Korra's skin tingled with the threat of a shudder. When she eventually did shake, Asami adjusted the hold on her and pulled her closer.

Korra finally decided to speak, taking in a slow breath. She felt the vibration of Asami's voice against her shoulder in the same instant she moved her own lips. They spoke in perfect sync, uttering the same two words in unison. "I'm sorry."

Korra smiled. She gave Asami a stronger hug, but only for an instant. She released the taller woman after, returning to a vertical position, though she kept her hands on Asami's shoulders. Asami stood as well, and Korra looked up into the woman's green eyes. Korra didn't know what to say, but Asami did. She peeled away, a slender hand lifting to catch Korra's palm and tug on it. Asami pulled her through the door and into the mansion, but not before Korra could grab her glider from its resting place. "Come in, Korra, it's cold outside." Korra didn't mind the chill, but she did catch a hint of a shiver from Asami, who was wearing much less, and nowhere near as used to low temperatures.

The movement created a blur around Korra's head. Her sense of balance suddenly teetered off course. It felt nice to be holding Asami's hand, and to be welcome into her home once again. She was ready to follow wherever Asami decided to take her. But the journey had one stop first. Both of them paused in the entryway, Korra catching the eye of the doorman now standing a short distance away with his hands folded behind his back. "Will there be anything else, Miss Sato?"

Asami addressed the butler with a pleasant smile and an air of professionalism. "No, thank you, that will be all. But do try to remember Korra's face next time. She's always welcome here."

Korra enjoyed watching the servant try to keep his composure while she made faces at him. She pulled on her lower eyelid with one finger and stuck out her tongue from behind Asami. He nodded solemnly. "Of course, Miss Sato."

The next thing Korra knew, she was being led by Asami through the hallway. Asami flashed her a smirk as they walked. "Be nice to the staff, Korra," she tried to say seriously, but her speech broke from a suppressed giggle.

The older of the two women continued through the mansion, eventually dragging Korra back to her room. Korra followed obediently, stopping once inside. She put her air glider away and glanced around the room to take in the details. Far from the first time she'd been in Asami's room, but she did find it cozy. Much larger and more decorated than any room Korra ever called her own, but it suited the businesswoman. Asami broke away to fetch chairs to sit in, though Korra opted not to wait and seated herself on the end of Asami's unmade bed. Korra reclined into a relaxed pose, holding herself up with her arms while swinging her legs.

When Asami returned, she placed a chair close to the bed and slid onto the cushion. She perched sideways on the seat, leaning her weight on the back of the chair. She crossed her arms along the top to rest her head there. To her side, she tucked her feet in close. Once she looked comfortable, she caught Korra's gaze and returned the smile she displayed. "It's nice seeing you smile again. We've been arguing a lot." Her words drifted from a happier tone into one that sounded more ashamed.

Korra frowned. "I don't want to fight anymore," she said truthfully.

"I never wanted to." Asami's voice was wistful and quiet.

Korra continued to kick her feet over the edge of the bed. She leaned to one side, watching Asami for a moment in uncomfortable silence. They already made up, but Korra knew that resuming normal conversation might be awkward at first. Korra swirled her tongue inside her mouth, trying to think of what she might say. Nothing came to mind. "So…"

"So, why were you up at this hour?" Asami continued helpfully. She turned a hand over to aid her question with a simple gesture.

Korra tilted her head in thought. She nearly forgot about that part. It was a nightmare that woke her, even though her brooding led her to want to apologize to Asami. "Oh, that. I had another dream. About Amon this time. He took my bending away," she continued. She probably didn't need to explain the details. Every dream about Amon was about losing her abilities. "Then I woke up."

Watching her quietly, Asami's face showed clear worry and concern. She sighed, then spoke. "I really hate seeing you suffering from things like this, Korra. You know I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Korra shook her head gently. "It's fine, I'm already over it. I'm getting more used to the dreams, and they barely bother me now. Honestly, I was more worried over whether you'd accept my apology."

Asami furrowed her brows, looking hurt. "Why wouldn't I?"

Korra winced, reacting to having apparently injured Asami. She treaded carefully. "I'm not used to people believing in me." She quickly added, "I know you always have, though. It's just that when I was stuck in a wheelchair, and when I was having trouble reconnecting with Raava, everyone doubted me. Even Tenzin. I end up doubting myself too, sometimes."

The older woman watched Korra with sad eyes. "The world hasn't been good to you, Korra," she said just above a whisper.

Korra raised a hand to her cheek, making some attempt to hide the emotion welling in her face. Asami may be concerned for her well-being, but it wasn't fun to hear the truth like that. So many unfortunate things happened to Korra in her life. Many hard battles and a lot of physical and mental trauma. Compared to past lives she'd spoken to, nearly all had fewer concerns in their lifetimes. And so few people seemed to have sympathy for her struggles. Supposedly it was all part of the Avatar's duties. But she didn't have to like it.

She sat in silence while pondering if there was anything she could do. She lingered on the unfairness of it all. Why her? But Asami spoke again, uttering a few short words with a timid voice. "Sometimes, I think—I wish you weren't the Avatar." She met Korra's eyes, continuing. "Maybe your life could have been more peaceful, with a lot less stress."

Korra quirked her brow, lifting her head to look at the tightly-coiled Asami in the chair. It was fantasy, of course, but the sentiment was nice. She allowed the conversation to carry them to an interesting place. "But then we may not have met. And you'd probably still be dating Mako."

Asami huffed heavily, exhaling through her nose. She loosened her reserved pose while rolling her eyes. "I really don't think I'd be dating Mako."

The edge of Korra's lip curled just a bit. She moved her hand from her cheek to her mouth, holding back a snerk. "Well, he did sort of cheat on you with me. And then got back with you. And then cheated on you with me, again." The unusual romantic history between the three could certainly be fun to talk about. But both girls were comfortably over the love triangle, and neither harbored any resentment toward the other. It seemed to be an unspoken rule between them to blame Mako.

From her spot on the bed, Korra watched Asami fidgeting uncomfortably. She blinked her eyes in Korra's direction, tilting forward in the chair. She sounded more curious now, but still apprehensive about the topic. "So, you and Mako—did you two ever—did you ever do anything?" she concluded, her eyes wide and inquisitive.

"Oh, geez," Korra replied. She covered her face once more to hide her furious blush. She grinned and gave a nervous chuckle. The conversation's direction embarrassed her greatly, but she jumped at the chance to share gossip with Asami. It was something of a new experience. Something fun to do with one of her only girl friends. "No, we never did. We only kissed. Mako was never very intimate."

"No, he wasn't," Asami mused.

Comparing notes from dating the same guy was kind of fun for Korra. She pulled her weight off her hands and leaned forward to address Asami more directly. The excitement from sharing stories made her more adventurous. "What about before Mako? Have you dated any other guys?"

The heiress looked taken aback by the question. Her cheeks turned a darker color, and Korra thought they probably both looked like tomatoes. "Actually, no. Mako was the first—well, person I dated." She averted her gaze shyly. But she was just as curious as Korra. "Have you ever seen… anyone else?"

Korra hummed to herself, taking the time to consider the question. Besides Mako, she was never official with anyone else. There was the occasional boy she found interesting when she was younger. And she was sure Bolin had something for her at one point. But that was it. "Mako was my first boyfriend too." After speaking, Korra raised a hand to cover her mouth to conceal a yawn.

"We're not very good at this dating thing," said Asami with a light chuckle.

Korra nodded her head to concur with the statement. But much as she liked to try out gossip, she realized she had very little, if anything to actually share. After a pause in the conversation, she revived the original topic. "Anyway, you know if I was never the Avatar, we wouldn't know each other." She turned a hand over, motioning to Asami, then herself.

Asami rolled her eyes upward in thought. "I know. And that would make me sad. But maybe you wouldn't have to go through all this, and you could be happy."

Korra hesitated for a moment, hanging onto Asami's words attentively. "You'd want that, even if that meant we weren't friends?" She didn't know why she asked such a strange question.

The inquiry did appear to make Asami uncomfortable, though. She tightened her toes and rubbed her legs together, wiggling. Her face remained red, and she answered as cautiously as before. Her voice stuttered over a few simple words. "I-I'd just like to see you happy, Korra, wh-whatever that might mean."

Korra lowered her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but hearing Asami say that made her feel very small. She didn't feel as though she deserved to be friends with someone so selfless. "That's kind of you to say." She fidgeted in place, lifting one leg onto the bed and looping her arm around it. She was growing tired, and used her other hand to rub at an eye before she spoke again. "Well, we are friends though, so we don't have to worry about that."

Asami settled her restless legs, chewing on her lip before answering. "That's true. And I'm glad I know you." She took a breath, exhaling heavily. "You're probably the best thing to happen to me."

"You really think so?" Korra wasn't so sure.

"I do," Asami returned with a smile. "You saved me from my father and the Equalists, and protected everyone from so many threats. It was hard seeing you go through so much difficulty. And I really missed you the three years you were gone. I'm glad to have you back." She paused, speaking slowly and concisely. "But I don't want you to leave me again. Wherever you go, I want to be there with you."

"You're sweet," Korra sighed. She blinked slowly, growing more tired by the minute. She leaned toward Asami, raising a hand to reach out for her. Asami eased closer as well, taking her hand and squeezing the palm. Korra enjoyed the touch of the soft hand. Asami had such delicate features. "You might think you need me, but I need you, too. You're the strongest support I have. I realize that now. And I appreciate it, I really do." Korra found it easy to pour her heart out to Asami. Whatever it was about the raven-haired girl, she felt a great deal of trust between them.

"I'm glad you're opening up to people again, Korra," said Asami. Her green eyes shined brightly when speaking directly to Korra.

"And I'm sorry I was so reluctant to do so. But I think I'm finally starting to understand you." Korra punctuated her reply with a yawn.

"Really?" Asami asked. She quirked an eyebrow and shuffled her feet. She dropped her arm, releasing Korra's hand. "I'm still not sure I understand myself."

Korra shut her eyes tight, yawning again with a concluding squeak. She groaned tiredly. "I'd love to talk more about it, but I think I should get some more sleep."

"You can stay here tonight if you want," Asami offered. "I don't mind."

"Which room was I staying in last time?" Korra asked in a sleepy daze.

"I think I'm going to stay up for a while, so you can use my bed." The sound of her voice was tender and thoughtful.

Korra fell backward, flopping heavily on the bed. She laid for a moment before sitting back up to take off her shoes, then curl up more comfortably on the sheets. She closed her eyes, welcoming sleep. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Korra." Asami lowered her chin onto her arms to relax. She sat quietly, watching the Avatar drift off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10: Full Circle

From the moment Korra arrived, Asami found herself in an elevated state of panic. It was difficult to talk, and difficult to socialize with her. However, since Korra nodded off, Asami found time to stop and reflect on the reunion between the two. Seeing Korra again felt incredible, despite the mixture of emotions that came with the meeting. For the entire night, she found it nearly impossible to take her eyes off the Water Tribe girl. She hoped dearly that it wasn't obvious. But she'd only begun to understand her feelings for the Avatar the night before being woken up by the surprise visit. Seeing and interacting with her again proved to be a challenge.

She started in the chair next to the bed, watching Korra sleep peacefully from afar. Whereas Korra was exhausted and wanted to get more rest, Asami felt startlingly awake. She perched in the seat in total silence, observing long enough to lose track of the time. The quiet helped to clear her head. But she focused more heavily on the future. What came next? What would she say, what would she do? What would being around Korra be like now?

She peeled away from the chair, strolling to her bed to settle onto it. She moved with a careful precision, not wanting to disturb Korra's sleep. Her legs drew in close to her body when deciding on a position. At Korra's side she sat, watching the younger woman's slow breathing, wondering what she was dreaming about. Korra looked calm, for which Asami was thankful. Too many stories of nightmares from the blue-eyed girl. She wished she could reach out to Korra and help her through them. She imagined her twitching in her sleep, plagued by bad dreams, and she'd be able to reach out and pull her back to reality. To help her, and save her, and protect her. And be there for her.

She lifted a hand, watching the tranquil image of the woman beside her. Her fingers trembled, hovering just above Korra's face. She wanted to reach down and touch her. To feel the warmth of her skin. The pulse of her heartbeat. To run her fingertips through Korra's hair. To just let Korra know what she meant to her.

Her fingers curled, tightening into a fist. She recoiled after a flare of panic and worry surged through her body. She backed away, pulling her arms and legs in close. Her half-lidded eyes fell on the sleeping Korra. Discord gnawed at her stomach, and she shook from the sensation of her limbs growing cold. She wanted to be closer, to feel an intimate connection with another human being. Yet she struggled to keep herself at a safe distance, for fear of driving Korra away for good.

The earlier conversations were difficult. While she finally saw an opportunity to learn more about Korra, the topics the two touched on found a way to twist out of her control like an angry serpent. Asami was honest with her answers about previous relationships, or lack thereof, but she had to choose her words carefully. She similarly lingered on every word spoken by Korra, trying to glean information from her vocabulary, but she found nothing that gave her hope.

The most difficult question was the one about wanting Korra to be happy, at the expense of their friendship. The entire subject made her terribly uncomfortable. More than Korra could possibly know. That particular seed of doubt was already planted before the Avatar arrived on her doorstep. When she started to understand her feelings, the very first fear that grew inside her was rejection. She quickly asked herself whose well-being she considered more important. Was it better to remain friends for Korra's sake, or try and take it further, despite the risks? And if Korra did push her away, would she be able to accept that if it meant Korra could ultimately be happy?

Asami needed to keep her distance, at least until she fully understood what it was she wanted. There was a dull sting associated with the decision, but it didn't hurt as much as she expected it to. Truthfully, she couldn't quite understand her fondness for Korra. While it felt like more than simple friendship, it also felt entirely different than her prior romance with Mako. Those emotions were straightforward and simple. Korra was not simple. She didn't know if she felt a physical attraction to Korra. She only knew that there was a strong emotional bond between them, and that she wished to explore it further.

Her eyes drifted across the room until they fell on Korra. Asami continued to breathe slowly while considering the girl, asleep in _her_ spot, in _her_ bed. Something about that sight helped to soothe Asami's troubled mind. She couldn't deny her attraction to Korra, whatever the nature of it. She just didn't understand what it meant to be in love with another woman. Or what she could possibly do about it. The notion confused her terribly.

Asami dismissed the uncertainty buzzing about her head. She moved again on the bed, this time swinging her weight to the opposite side. She hopped to the floor, turning to make sure she didn't disturb the sleeping Korra. Careful steps carried her out of the room, closing the door behind to give Korra some privacy. Sunlight threatened to shine through the windows, making her realize just how long she'd been up. Stepping quietly down the hallways of the large mansion, she aimed for the kitchen, hoping to put something together and settle an uneasy stomach.

"Good morning, Miss Sato," a male voice called. Her attention turned to the source, seeing one of the various mansion employees seated nearby. An older, portly man with a bit of a bald spot, but one of the kinder servants she employed. He was enjoying his downtime, drinking from a cup of tea and glancing over a newspaper. His eyes locked on her, however, waiting to see if she'd ask anything of him.

She slowed to a stop, addressing the servant with a polite nod. "Good morning." She realized she looked disheveled, still wearing pajamas and having put no effort into cleaning up. But being seen in a less than pristine state by the staff was a common occurrence. She drifted away, wandering fully into the kitchen to consider what she might be hungry for.

"Would you like me to prepare something to eat, ma'am?" the large man asked. While any servant would offer the same, he did seem to genuinely wish to help in any way possible.

Asami glanced over her shoulder, shrugging dismissively. "No, I can manage, but thank you."

"Of course. Also, a message came for you this morning." When Asami turned around to hear the rest of the story, he hopped from his seat and briskly crossed the kitchen. A detour took him past the designated mail table, lifting a neat envelope and passing it to her.

Asami held out a hand to accept the note. There was nothing special about the paper, and it wasn't addressed from anyone. She tore along the edge and freed the note inside, reading the message quietly to herself. Short and to the point, as expected of Lin Beifong. The letter requested that she pay a visit to police headquarters to make a statement at her earliest convenience. She sighed, folding the letter up and striking it against her forehead out of mild frustration. She looked back to her housekeeper. "Maybe you'd better make me something to eat. I need to get cleaned up to visit the police station."

"Yes, ma'am. What would you like me to prepare?" The attendant moved swiftly around her, already picking out a variety of utensils.

Asami furrowed her brow while putting the letter down. Too many other concerns to worry about what to have for breakfast. "Surprise me. Something I can eat on the way out the door. And please don't make too much noise — Korra is still sleeping." The words slipped freely from her tongue before she could think. Her heart jumped in her chest, suddenly worrying what her servant might say about Korra being asleep in her room.

"Of course, Miss Sato." The man turned away to begin working. Asami lingered a moment longer, waiting for any other comment or reaction. After a few seconds when none came, she began to calm down. Nothing about Korra being asleep implied anything, did it? She exhaled slowly, releasing the momentary nervousness from her system.

Collecting herself, Asami strolled out of the kitchen. She couldn't return to her room, not wanting to disturb Korra's rest. Fortunately, several rooms in the mansion had adequate clothing and supplies to dress with. She relocated to another wing of the estate, selecting clothing, taking a warm shower, and applying simple makeup.

When she reemerged from the spare room, Asami cautiously made her way back to the other side of the mansion. Creeping past her room, she saw no evidence of the Avatar being awake. Maybe Korra would get the sleep she deserved and be able to worry about other things for a change. She smiled to herself and returned to the kitchen.

Upon arrival, she inhaled deeply to catch the scent of baked goods. She walked along the perimeter of the kitchen, watching while the staff set out a tray. Asami identified the smell of strawberry and egg custard, stopping at the table to pick at the food. Taking a small bite, she nodded her approval. "These are good, thank you." She paused long enough to swallow a bite. "I also need you to transcribe a letter for me, please," she continued. Too busy working through a plate of sweet, crumbly pastries to do any writing of her own.

She stood in place, eyes following the servant who moved to retrieve paper, ink, and a brush. Asami continued to eat, waiting for his return, and watched for a signal that he was ready to begin. In a sense it was somewhat odd to be utilizing the services of the employees kept around the mansion. More recently, she rarely bothered the staff. They proved to be a huge help when needed, though.

"Just a short letter to Korra, for when she gets up," she began. He started to write, most likely addressing it to the Avatar in a more proper fashion. "I'm going to be gone for most of the morning, since Lin wants to speak with me across town." She stopped to allow him time to write, taking another bite of strawberry-filled food. "Let her know I said she's welcome to use the house. And ask if she'll meet me for lunch. The same place we went with Mako and Wu when she came back to Republic City. I don't remember the name, but she should know the place. Around noon." She paused, watching him conclude the writing before asking, "Did you get everything?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll pass it to her when she wakes." He began to clean the brush and put away the supplies. Again, Asami lingered, looking on to find any reaction to her wanting to have lunch with Korra. She felt paranoid, especially considering she spent time with the Avatar often without these thoughts. She dismissed the notion.

"Thank you," Asami returned. She set the last of an unfinished piece of pastry on the tray, pushing it away from the edge of the table. Before leaving, she turned to add, "You can take the rest of the day off once you do that." Even with the minimal amount of work she asked of the mansion staff, she disliked asking them to do much for her.

"Of course, Miss Sato, thank you very much." Asami met the accompanying bow with one of her own, then turned to make her way outside.

Asami halted her steps once outside. She turned to glance up at the dingy sky. As indicated by the weather reports, the days were getting colder. The clouds above looked like rain, or maybe even snow. She tucked her hands into her pockets to walk, rolling her shoulders and trying to keep herself warm.

While she wanted to take her bike again, the weather was set to make the ride a disaster. Instead, she walked further around the front of the estate to her car. She started it, pulling into the street.

Naturally, her mind wandered to Korra. Lately her life seemed more like a series of events punctuated by Korra. But unlike the rest of the week, her daydreaming didn't linger on negatives or worries over why she was obsessed. She knew why, now. And the ideas dancing in her head were more that it would be nice to have lunch with the Water Tribe girl and chat with her again. More that she was happy to have made up after the fight. And that maybe Korra would be ready to make a positive change and work through her insecurities.

Asami pulled into a spot in front of the large police headquarters. She stepped free of her car, standing beside it to look up at the intricate and sprawling facility. She believed it to be reminiscent of Earth Kingdom architecture, especially given the origin and purpose of the building. Walking closer to the entrance, she stopped to dawdle, staring at the large metal statue of Toph Beifong. She hummed appreciatively to herself, then stepped inside.

The temperature changed drastically, allowing Asami to sigh with relief. The biting cold outside fell quickly behind her, and she felt comfortable enough to remove her hands from her pockets. She paced down the hallway and to the front check-in area, approaching an officer seated at a desk. A very old man with a bald and wrinkled forehead. She skidded to a stop, clasping her hands in front of herself, waiting to be addressed. After an awkward silence, she raised a hand to her mouth, clearing her throat to get his attention.

He glanced up, over a desk of paperwork. "Yes?" He looked and sounded short of temper.

Asami smiled sheepishly. "I received a letter from Lin Beifong asking me to come down and speak with her. I assume she's expecting me."

The officer leaned back in his chair, holding up a brush to point at her. "You're Asami Sato, right?" he asked. She nodded in reply. "Let me see if she's available." He pushed away from the chair with a grunt, standing and walking into a back room. Asami leaned to one side, trying to see beyond the doorway. Since she couldn't see anything, she eased back into position and waited.

And waited.

She eventually turned away from the desk, walking a few short paces away to the nearest chair. She sat, slumping forward and sighing. She wondered how long she'd be kept waiting. And wondered if Korra was awake yet. Maybe she read the note, and would be eager to see her. Even though she felt she had plenty of time, Asami looked around for a clock, wondering how close to noon it already was.

"Asami?" a voice came from the nearby doorway.

When she looked up, she saw an older woman wearing the typical metalbending police armor. She had a grumpy expression, short gray hair, and a distinct scar on her right cheek. It was Lin, finally! Asami sat up quickly. "Yes? Are you ready for me?"

The metalbender turned in place. Alongside a nod, she raised her hand to jerk a thumb over her shoulder. "Come on back."

Asami collected herself and stood up. Her small boots carried her swiftly across the room, to follow the older woman through the hall, winding past what looked like office areas, and to a smaller, darker room. Lin held a door open, inviting Asami inside. She walked through, opening into a dim, square, metal room. She took one look around, picking up the repetitive wall pattern and the bolted-down table. She made her way to one of the two chairs to sit underneath the single overhead light.

Lin took the second chair, sighing while setting down a handful of paperwork. She leaned forward onto the table, folding her hands and tenting her fingers on the flat metal surface. "All right, so tell me what happened."

Asami watched the other woman from across the table. She didn't know Lin terribly well. She'd been present several times, being one of the many people to revolve around Korra. But Asami never found much need or reason to have an extended conversation with the chief of police. She was aware of her reputation, however. She took a breath to speak. "Well, I was sitting in the park, and the guy came up behind me. He told me to give him my money, I said no, and he came at me. We fought for about a minute, he tried to use firebending on me, and I knocked him out. Then I contacted the station."

While Asami talked, Lin wrote notes quickly on paper that she'd brought in. She kept her eyes on the work, barely looking up. "Firebending, good to know." She scribbled more details on the pad. When finished with the notes, she turned her attention back to Asami, refolding her hands by interlacing her fingers. "Why were you in the park at that hour?"

Asami analyzed the question, her face taking a more concerned look. From the few times she'd been around Lin, she learned the woman had a way of making every statement or question sound accusatory. From conversations with others, though, she learned that Lin managed to cool down some in the last few years. Still, the tone was rough. Asami couldn't imagine dealing with her at her worst. "I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. It's been a difficult week for me."

"I see." Lin returned to the paper, adding more. The two-word dismissal seemed to be as far as the gray-haired woman wanted to go into personal matters. "The assailant said that you electrocuted him with a glove. And that you stole his knife."

Asami scoffed. "I didn't _steal_ his knife. I knocked it away from him when he tried to attack me, and then I took it with me when I left so nobody else would run into it. It's in the glove compartment of my motorcycle."

"Did you bring that with you?" Lin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, no." Asami fidgeted. She probably should have brought everything with her. "It was too cold, so I came in my car. I didn't think to grab the knife. My bike is parked outside the mansion." She tried to be more cooperative to stay on Lin's good side, adding, "You can send someone to pick it up if you want. You're welcome on the property."

"Do you have a key for the glove box?"

"It's unlocked."

"And the glove?"

Asami paused to consider the question. Her face turned slightly red, remembering that Lin was shocked by one of her father's electric gloves on at least one occasion. Probably not a fun topic to tread around. "Same place," she said. "But I use that for self-defense, so I'd like to have it back if you take it."

Lin twitched a lip, looking annoyed. "Those gloves aren't nice to be on the receiving end of."

"I know," said Asami cautiously. "I only use it when I have to."

The older woman sighed loudly. "I'll take your word for it." She looked down at the paperwork, apparently spreading large blobs of black ink through a portion of the notes to erase them. "It's the same kind of glove the Equalists used, right? The ones your father invented?"

"Y-yes," Asami stuttered nervously. "More or less. But when I took the company, we destroyed as many as we could. We don't manufacture them anymore. That one's mine."

"I'll send someone to pick up the knife. We'd like to have it as evidence." She looked up to catch Asami's eyes. "I'll take care of the rest, kid. You can keep the glove. For now."

Asami smiled meekly, nodding her head. She noticed Lin was no longer writing. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

Lin leaned back in her chair, visibly relaxing more. She said nothing for a time, but eventually raised both hands in an expressive manner. "And you're holding up okay? I'm aware you know how to fight, but being jumped can be stressful."

Asami upgraded her smile to a more sincere one. Lin was trying to be sociable. Asami appreciated the small-talk. "It's no big deal. Since I met Korra I've been in lots of dangerous fights. I've kind of gotten used to it." She shrugged away the concern.

"Hmph." Lin continued into a new topic, picking up off something Asami said. "I don't see much of her, so she must be keeping out of trouble. You probably see Korra more than I do; I believe you two are good friends. How is she doing?"

Asami sank in her chair. She realized she must have been showing some red around her cheeks. She wanted to hide her eyes, but thought it suspicious. "A lot better than she was. We had a fight, recently, but we made up. She may still be at the mansion if you want to drop by and talk to her."

The metalbender shuffled in her chair, crossing her arms. She elevated an eyebrow to the last comment. "Really? I thought she was staying with Tenzin."

"She was," Asami said quickly. Telling Lin about everything going on between her and Korra seemed like a bad idea. "But we've both been under stress, and she came by last night to talk. It was late, so she stayed." Asami realized she was tapping her foot out of nervousness and immediately stopped. "It's been nice having someone around to vent to about things," she mused.

The change in expression on Lin's face made Asami regret having elaborated in detail. "I see. Relationship troubles?" she asked bluntly.

Asami's eyes shot wide open, and she retreated back in her chair to hide. She clenched her hands in her lap. "Well, I—how did you—"

Lin shrugged. She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion, sitting up to lecture Asami more seriously. She stretched one hand out onto the table, tapping it with her palm. "Please, it's written all over your face," she explained. Asami wanted to sink under the table. "Is Mako bothering you again? I'll have a word with him."

Asami blinked. "Oh, um. No, Mako's been a gentleman since we broke it off." Her heart skipped a beat and she began to calm down. Maybe Lin didn't know as much as she initially feared.

"Really?" Lin asked, shrugging to herself. She placed a hand under her chin, rubbing it in consideration before resuming her speech. "Listen, I know you may not be looking for advice, but I have been around and learned a few things. Whatever guy is hassling you may not be worth your time. You have a career to worry about, and hard-working women like you and I can't stop and let men hold us back. It's too much of a distraction."

Asami stared for a few seconds, her face twisted into a surreal confusion. On one level, she didn't like being compared to the chief of police. Lin seemed like the kind of person to be married to her job, and honestly always came across as somewhat bitter. She also wasn't sure why the woman decided to lecture her on a topic like this. Maybe she just wanted to unload her own frustrations, or perhaps this was her idea of socializing and trying to be nicer to people. Supposedly she'd been working on that after patching things up with her sister. Asami tilted her head. "Okay, thank you?" she replied quietly, aware of how unsure she sounded.

Lin returned her attention to the metal table and the collection of papers. She gathered them neatly and tapped the entire stack on the table to straighten the edges. "Just give it some thought. Anyway, you're free to go. Thank you for coming in."

Asami nodded quickly. "Sure, anytime." She got to her feet and turned to walk out. She felt herself floating toward the front of the building and back outside in a daze. Eventually, she realized she was standing in the open yard, under the statue of Toph. She blinked, wondering what exactly it was that just transpired. In addition to wondering what to do about her feelings for Korra, the chief of police just helpfully advised her to break up with some guy she wasn't even dating! She smacked an open palm against her forehead, now more confused than ever.

The echoing noise of a loud and repetitive chime brought her out of a daydream. She started to count before simply turning to find the source. Laying eyes on the large clock face pasted on a nearby building, she realized it was already noon. Alarmed, she jumped and began running quickly to her Satomobile. She didn't intend to keep Korra waiting at the restaurant if she could help it.

Asami drove as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself. She began to worry about Korra thinking she'd stood her up. By the time she screeched into a parking space, another ten minutes had passed. She hopped free of the car and entered the restaurant at a brisk pace. Sliding into the front lobby, she turned to check the area, seeing no one waiting for her. She slowed her pace and walked to the entrance of the dining area, leaning around a corner to check each of the tables. Though some were occupied, she didn't see Korra anywhere.

Taking notice of Asami's bouncing around, a nearby server approached cautiously. She was a small, mousy woman with amber eyes, apparently hesitant to interrupt. "Do you need a table, miss?"

Asami regained her composure, turning to answer. "I was actually just looking for someone. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend. I'm sure she'll be along soon." Surely Korra was just running late and would be arriving at any moment.

The server nodded in agreement. "You're welcome to have a seat while you wait, or I can take you to a table if you'd like a drink."

"I think I'll wait up front. Thank you." She turned away, taking a look around the room. She walked leisurely to a familiar red chair next to a potted plant. Tilting her head at it, she spun in place, plopping onto the cushion. A very familiar situation. It didn't feel like long ago that she waited here for Korra to arrive after her three year absence.

The last time she was here, Asami sat in the same chair, legs crossed, reading from a magazine to pass the time. Originally, she paced with a mix of worry and giddiness. She was looking forward to seeing Korra again after three long years. She didn't realize it at the time, but her feelings for the Avatar were already growing back then, and seeing her face-to-face would cause a flood of emotions to well up inside her. Korra arrived late, taking her by surprise. Asami's face lit up when Korra entered, saying—

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

Asami's attention snapped to the voice. She looked to the doorway, no longer reminiscing about their last time meeting here, and now staring at the actual Korra. She could only return the Avatar's signature crooked grin with a dumbfounded stare. She blinked several times, taking in the spectacle that was Korra. The Water Tribe woman stood before her in a long, dark blue dress. The colors switched to a lighter blue close to her collar, with the top pinned together using a jewel that matched her eyes. Long sleeves ran down her arms, though the fabric was loose and cut to reveal her shoulders. Her hair was also styled, neatly decorated with blue beads and gemstones.

For the first time, she felt upstaged by Korra. She remembered only seeing Korra in a dress on a few special occasions. And never this one. Asami vaguely remembered selecting this outfit and keeping it with the rest of the Water Tribe clothes in the mansion, but she never expected Korra to actually wear it. The dress was long, captivating, and decidedly feminine — an anomaly for the tomboyish Korra. Earlier in the day, Asami stopped to consider whether or not she found Korra physically attractive. Looking at her now, the only word that came to mind was "beautiful." She definitely appreciated Korra's feminine side.

Asami rose to her feet and approached the grinning Korra. She walked with a slow pace, drinking in everything there was to see. When she stopped, she realized she needed to pick her jaw up off the floor. She straightened up, trying to speak. "Korra, wow, you look—" What could she say? Gorgeous? Stunning? Breathtaking?

Korra took the broken sentence and the following silence as disapproval. Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment, and she averted her gaze while visibly shrinking in place. Her voice came out quiet. "I look stupid, don't I?"

Asami stepped closer, elevating both hands to place on Korra's bare shoulders and draw her attention. "No, Korra. I was going to say you looked amazing." She offered Korra a sincere smile, allowing her to quickly rebound and display a smile of her own.

The compliment cheered up the Avatar immensely. Asami giggled when Korra flashed a proud grin, rolling into speech from the middle of a girlish titter. "Thanks."

Asami peeled her hands from Korra's shoulders, as warm and inviting as they were. She realized suddenly that she'd always been fairly hands-on when dealing with the other woman. But she didn't know if Korra ever noticed. She turned her eyes upward, pointing with one hand. "Did you have someone do your hair? I like it."

Korra elevated a hand as well, tugging on a strand of hair holding a string of blue beads. "No, I just did it myself," she replied in a bubbly voice. Asami widened her smile, noticing the charming similarities to their conversation the last time the two were here.

"Come on, let's get a table," said Asami, trying to restrain her excitement.


	11. Chapter 11: Paradise

Asami watched through the kitchen window, gazing out into the adjacent yard. She stood with both arms crossed, leaning her weight onto one leg. Korra was barely in view, stepping through several different stances. Occasionally the young Avatar would thrust an arm in one direction and generate a blast of fire or a wisp of air. Asami sighed, watching the dance-like movements, appreciating the well-practiced forms as much as just seeing Korra enjoy herself.

The loud ding of a mechanical bell broke Asami's concentration. She turned away from the window, pacing back into the kitchen and to the counter. Lifting the boiling teapot before her, she carefully poured two small cups, one for herself and one for Korra. Afterward, she turned to flick the heating device off and then make her way outside.

Asami walked quietly along the wall, staying a safe distance from the spinning and twirling woman in the grass. She moved in a slow stroll, making her way to a nearby bench. She leaned down to rest one cup, then sat with the other, sipping from it. The warm tea helped to fight off the cold weather. From afar, she continued to watch Korra going through different bending stances, trying not to interrupt for the first minute. Eventually though, when the Avatar did notice Asami sitting nearby, she flagged her down and smiled. "I brought you some tea, in case you want to take a break."

"I wouldn't mind stopping for a little while," Korra replied. She lowered her arms and made her way to the bench. Asami couldn't help but smile widely as Korra drew closer. She felt giddy knowing that Korra was approaching her, lending her full attention and appreciation. She focused on each step and the sway of her hips, subtle as it may have been. She watched the way Korra's short hair flowed in the cool breeze. She examined the Water Tribe outfit; pants under a folded skirt, and a top that showed off the majority of her toned arms. Asami was beaming by the time Korra stopped in front of her and reached for the cup of tea. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Asami handed off the cup to the other woman, raising it with both hands. Her fingers brushed Korra's, sliding along her warm skin and catching a fleeting touch of her hands before lowering back to her lap and to her own teacup. Sitting in silence, she let Korra seat herself and enjoy the tea before resuming any conversation. "So, you still feel the need to train? You're basically a master of everything at this point."

Korra shrugged. "Well, aside from keeping my skills sharp, I think there's always room for improvement. Maybe I don't get much out of throwing fireballs at the air, but I can't think of anything else to do. I need to be ready in case anything else comes along."

Asami hummed, leaning in Korra's direction. She reached outward with a hand, resting it on the woman's bare shoulder. "I really hope your efforts to balance the world are long-lasting. You've already had to deal with Tarrlok and Amon and neutralize the Equalists, you stopped Vaatu and Unalaq and reconnected the world with the spirits, you defeated Zaheer and helped put an end to the more powerful members of the Red Lotus, and you dealt with Kuvira's attempt to take over the Earth Kingdom. That's way more than any one person, even the Avatar, should have to deal with." After a short pause, she added, "I think the universe owes you a favor. You should be allowed to retire."

Korra chuckled over her cup of tea. "Well, I don't think it works that way, but I wish it did." She turned away, glancing off into the distance. Asami sat watching her for a time. "I want to continue to better myself so that I can protect the people I know and love."

"You're already very strong, Korra, and I don't just mean physically." Asami waited for the younger woman's attention to turn back to her, enjoying the faint smile on her lips. "You've done so much to protect the world already." She turned her feet inward, pressing them together underneath the bench. "Sometimes I feel jealous. You're leaving behind such an incredible legacy. I fear that all I can leave behind is a struggling company." Her shoulders slumped and she looked to the ground.

Korra turned in place, reaching out to Asami's face. Her eyes lit up when a warm hand ran across her skin, catching her chin and lifting it. Her head turned, looking into Korra's comforting blue eyes. Her worried expression eased to enjoy the contact. She felt electricity where Korra touched her, and she held her breath to hear Korra speak. "Your company is doing great, Asami. You brought it back from almost nothing, which is saying something considering the way your father left it."

"I know," Asami whispered. She kept her eyes locked on the girl beside her, afraid to move for fear of breaking the contact they shared. "But Future Industries thrives and grows on things my father built. Our Satomobiles, the biplanes, mecha tanks, those are all his inventions. I haven't really done anything."

The warm hand against her face fell away. She wanted to frown, or to protest, but she said nothing. "That's not true. You designed the airbender wingsuits. Those are helping a lot of people."

Asami hummed at the revelation. "I guess." She sat straighter, trying to perk up and pout less. "I suppose airbenders are a growing market, after all."

Korra nodded. "You just need to be more aggressive with your marketing techniques! Maybe you can get everyone into one. Tenzin still needs one."

Asami contorted her face into a silly expression. She squinted, sticking her tongue out at Korra. "Ew, that's an image I didn't need in my head!" When she began to giggle, Korra joined her.

Once the laughing died down, Asami returned to her tea while Korra resumed speaking. "Besides, you've helped me more than you know. And I want to turn myself around and accept the support of my friends."

Asami took a slow sip of her tea while listening. She nodded her head once Korra finished. "I'm glad. I know you had the notion that you needed to save the world alone. But that was never the case. You've always had support." She lowered the cup of tea to her lap, canting her head to the woman beside her. She liked the way Korra's smile brightened her day. From the right angle, her face almost looked illuminated, as if glowing in candlelight. "Sometimes, the world does need you, Korra. But we need you too. And you need us."

"I know I do," Korra said in a kind voice. "And I'm glad you're here to help me through some of my problems. I don't think I could do it all by myself."

Asami suddenly pushed her feet out from underneath the bench, planting them solidly. She tilted her cup to drink the last bit of tea before discarding it at her side. She hopped to her feet, spinning around while Korra watched. Her hair bounced, fluttering wildly in the air. She backed away from the bench, still facing Korra, while rolling her shoulders to slide her coat off and drop it in the grass. Hands drifted behind her head, pulling on the mass of raven hair to keep it still. After producing a red band from a pocket, she tied her hair back into a ponytail. Afterward, she brought one hand forward to gesture at Korra. "Well, I know one more way I can help you out. On your feet!" she demanded, her tone now playful.

The Avatar looked confused but curious. She watched Asami get to her feet and start to hop while shifting weight from one shoe to the other. Once called to, Korra lifted her cup to drink the last of the tea. The emptied cup joined its brother on the bench when Korra stood. "Oh, what's this out of nowhere? You think you can take me?"

"You think I can't?" Asami shot back, grinning. She hopped, light on her toes, from one foot to the other. "Your hand-to-hand still needs some work. Come on, Avatar, let's see if you can knock me down. No bending."

Korra closed the distance between them, stopping only a few paces away. She came to a halt, raising both hands to clasp them together and issue a bow. Asami assumed the same stance, beginning with a respectful dip of her head. Once both girls returned to their previous positions, Asami locked on the Water Tribe girl carefully. Then, Korra pounced.

Korra rushed closer, quickly spinning with the advance. A half-twirl brought one leg around, sliding close to the ground in an attempt to take Asami off her feet. Asami _did_ invite Korra to knock her down, but didn't expect her tactic to be so obvious. Asami quickly backpedaled, narrowly avoiding the sweep. Korra's momentum continued, bringing her back around for a second swing with her other leg. This time, Asami rocked back on one foot, raising the other into the air. The other woman was close, and now in the path of a simple leg-drop. Asami reversed direction, bringing her foot back down. It slammed, hard, into the ground, only missing Korra due to a last-second dodging roll.

Asami stood back up, turning her body and widening her stance to maintain stronger balance. She watched and waited for Korra to get back to her feet and dust off bits of grass and dirt. Asami flashed her a smile once she recovered. Korra advanced once more, keeping just enough distance to make safe jabs with both fists. Asami continued to back away while circling Korra, making sure to carefully maintain a consistent distance in order to properly judge the arc and reach of each swing. As the two moved, Asami began to preach. "Each form of bending is its own martial art style, but there are still many other styles you can learn in order to weigh the odds in your favor."

Korra slowed her movements, backing away to put more steps between them. She moved in a circular pattern around Asami, surveying her for an opening. "I learned that early on when I started pro-bending. Even if I was a master of earthbending, there are other forms of it to learn. Toph even had her own style."

"Right! But even then—" Asami leaned hard to her left, easing past a swing Korra threw at her in the middle of her sentence. She backed away, holding both arms up in front of her chest defensively. Korra moved quickly, rolling her shoulder back to transfer the energy into her other arm. Asami barely adjusted her stance in time to catch Korra's forearm with her own and direct it off its path. Korra hopped away, neither trusting the other in extremely close quarters. Asami exhaled. "Even then, there are many martial art styles not tied to any form of bending. Learning those can make you unpredictable and harder to counter."

Both women stopped for a moment, standing their ground and waiting for the other to move. Asami took a few short steps, making Korra backpedal. Now that she was forcing the Avatar into a retreat, she picked up her pace and vaulted closer. She moved into a fluid jab with her right arm, only to have Korra duck neatly underneath it. Asami quickly adjusted as soon as Korra dropped, able to sidestep the predicted swing aimed at her midsection. She managed one step back before Korra came at her again with another strike speeding toward her chest. Asami raised her left arm into the path of it, pushing it off course with her wrist. At the same time, her other hand swung around and issued a strong push to Korra's shoulder. Korra stumbled backward, but did not fall.

Asami reclaimed her stance and waited for Korra again. She knew the hot-headed woman would be first to strike, and she was proven right again. Korra moved quickly at her, leaning to one side and then the other to throw off her direction. She dove in close with a low punch toward Asami's stomach. Asami threw her weight back, head dipping forward while sliding out of range. Her eyes widened when the younger woman followed through with a kick before she could recover. She swung her head backward to avoid being struck. "Whoa—!" But Korra was already well into the next attack. Sliding a foot across the grass, Korra brought her shin upward to target the back of Asami's knee, just as Asami had done to the mugger before. Her balance broken, she teetered and fell backward.

In that short second, Asami realized she was about to be toppled by Korra. And after all that tough talk! But, as she dropped, she became conscious of her arms being unoccupied. Korra put all of her effort into taking Asami off her feet, leaving her hands free. She swiftly raised both hands over her head, touching the grass with open palms. She turned the falling momentum into a complete backflip, kicking her legs up and over her head. With a full turn, she landed back on her feet, now facing a perplexed Korra. She lunged forward with the full strength of her body. Korra did the same, and they collided in the middle, all four arms impacting between them. Unfortunately for the Avatar, Asami's angle and force was stronger, and she separated her arms outward to throw Korra's hands away from her body. Coming full circle, Asami's hands swung back toward her center. She planted both against Korra's chest, shoving hard.

With both arms thrust aside, and the sudden application of force, Korra fell back unceremoniously, crashing into the grass. She closed her eyes to groan, not from pain, but from defeat. Asami dropped both hands and followed Korra, crouching and sitting down at her side. She smiled merrily to Korra once the woman's eyes opened again. "Very close," she teased.

Korra adjusted her position. She bent her knees and raised both hands above her head, crossing her arms there to use as a pillow. "I feel like any closeness on my part was purely accidental." Korra stretched, elevating her chest and tightening her stomach before relaxing once again. "I'll need a lot more practice before I can best Sifu Sato."

Asami reached down with one hand, tapping her index finger against Korra's nose over and over. The digit bounced up and down until Korra scrunched her face. "Just Asami is fine, good pupil." Asami's eyelids lowered, gazing down at the woman laid out in the grass beside her. The image of the peacefully relaxed Korra burned itself in Asami's mind. She loved seeing the girl so laid back and happy. Her viewpoint on Korra changed so much in the last few days. She felt as though she was seeing her from a fresh perspective, with new eyes. It was intoxicating just being near her. Every single tiny detail about Korra made her heart stop and sink into her stomach. If this was what it meant to be in love with another woman, she welcomed it. She could do this every day. This was paradise.

When Korra spoke, Asami's expression slowly turned into a frown. "It's so nice having a girl friend to talk to and do stuff with. Nobody else seems to understand or care about the things I have to put up with like you do."

The hand withdrew from Korra, retreating from the repeated pokes to her nose. Her eyes lowered and avoided the Avatar's glance. She bit her lip in silence, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt. She was falling for Korra more and more, and the woman didn't even know it. Korra didn't realize how much those words stung. And Asami couldn't tell her. It wouldn't be appropriate. To Korra, she was just a friend. "I'd like to stay longer," she began with a sigh, "but I do need to go out for a while." Asami had nowhere in mind. She just suddenly felt as though she needed to get away. To clear her mind and think.

Korra kicked her legs forward, swinging all her weight in order to sit up. She tucked her legs in close, hugging her ankles. "All right. I'll stay here then. I'll probably be outside when you get back."

"You're welcome to anything in the house you like," Asami offered helpfully.

"It's okay. I like the outdoors more. Your mansion feels sort of big and empty to me."

Asami pulled her legs in closer, pushing to stand up. She ran a hand up the back of her neck to tug on the hair band constraining her ponytail. Pulling on it, she freed her bouncy hair, tossing it side to side until it settled. She turned her eyes down to the sitting Korra. "It's a lot less empty with you in it," she replied, sulking.

The grass-covered girl below her merely smiled at the comment. "You're sweet."

"Do you need me to pick up anything while I'm out?"

"I think I'll be fine. I'm going to sit here and contemplate my place in the universe for a while longer. It helps me relax."

Asami nodded in response, cracking a slim smile at the mild humor. She offered a parting flutter of fingers, turning to walk away after diverting to scoop up her coat, slinging it over her shoulder. After several steps, she glanced back over her shoulder, seeing Korra moving into a meditative position. But she was growing smaller the more distance Asami put between them, until she instead began to pay attention to where she was going.

She walked in no real hurry, approaching her motorcycle and standing beside it. She hovered, not sure where to go or what to do. She just needed a distraction. While considering her options, she reached out to check the glove compartment, confirming that someone already came by and took the weapon from the previous day. They also left a note, elaborating on the name of the officer who visited and what case number it pertained to. There was even a sentence explaining that the suspect was currently in jail.

Asami backed up, rereading the paper. She stopped on one word, staring at the symbols on the page. It gave her an idea. There was one place she might go, one person she could talk to for advice. And being just past midday, she still had plenty of time.

She flicked the box closed and reached for her helmet. Sliding it over her hair, she hopped onto the bike, making it bounce from the added weight. She started it up and revved it loudly, getting used to the enjoyable feeling of the machine growling underneath her. So much more fun than a car. Leaning forward, she twisted the handlebar and jumped onto the street, speeding down the road.

The actual trip proved short. Traffic was light, and her destination wasn't far. She followed the winding streets, pulling alongside a tall building still wrapped in spirit vines. Skidding to a halt outside, she turned the engine off and removed her helmet. She hopped free of the vehicle, landing neatly on the sidewalk, and approached.

Inside, she stopped to be checked by security just past the door. Once cleared, she answered when prompted for her name. All very boring and routine. A guard escorted her through a series of doors and into a familiar, secluded room. Mostly wooden, with featureless tables and folding metal chairs. She selected a table at random and started to set up a Pai Sho board — one of the only features of the room and more or less the only thing allowed. She sat quietly, glancing occasionally to the guard standing in the corner, until finally the nearby door opened.

A ragged-looking older man walked through the door, escorted by a second guard. He looked very tired, with white hair, round glasses, and a drab gray prison uniform. Asami sat up to address him. When his eyes fell on her, his face visibly brightened. He moved to the table, easing into the chair on the opposite side. He slumped forward with a heavy sigh. "Asami, you came to see me."

"Hi, Dad," she murmured in a gentle voice. "I'm sorry I haven't visited lately. I've had a lot on my mind for the last few weeks." She turned her eyes away, still feeling a mix of emotions regarding her father. She wanted to forgive and be open with him again, but the lingering pain of his crimes and betrayal still kept her at a cautious distance. Still, she had more or less forgiven him. Trust was harder. "I don't know how long I can stay, but I thought we could play a game or two."

"I would enjoy that," he said, his voice fatigued. He turned his attention to the playing board, raising a hand to hold his bearded chin. "Do you want to go first?"

"Sure," said Asami absentmindedly. She reached forward, picking up a piece and setting it back down in a new position. Hiroshi Sato watched and responded with his first move. She went back and forth for several moves, until her father's actions slowed. He began to consider the board more seriously, lingering on the next turn for a long time, examining her strategy.

Eventually, he lifted his head and gave Asami a concerned look. She realized just by seeing his reaction that he was close to winning the game. She'd barely been paying attention, and he knew it. "You seem distracted. You said you've had a lot on your mind. Is the company doing okay?"

Asami slumped in her chair. She wanted to come and talk to her father, the only person that came to mind when considering who she might be able to vent to. But now, faced with the conversation, she felt too nervous to have it. "The company's fine. We've been doing very well, actually. We got most of our old investors back."

"That's good to hear," he replied. He turned to look at the board, reaching out with both hands and sliding it to the side, so nothing stood between them. Afterward, his hands folded on the table. "I don't know if you want to hear my advice, but whatever problems you have, you can talk to me. I'd like to try and help you, if you let me."

Asami tightly gripped the elbow of her opposite arm, fingers squeezing just to have something to hold on to. "It's—I'm having trouble with a relationship. It's been very hard, and I don't know what to do."

"Are you still dating that—Mako?" Hiroshi's voice paused just long enough that Asami looked up at him suspiciously. She knew that he originally hated Mako, but only because he was a bender. Especially a firebender. Though he'd allegedly resolved that loathing, she still wanted to be sure.

"No, I'm not," she said quickly. "Mako and I broke up. This is someone else. This… person is a very powerful bender, though." She focused her eyes on his face, waiting to see his reaction to being told she might be dating another bender.

Hiroshi seemed unphased by the revelation. "Well, you seem concerned. What's the problem between you and this boy?"

Asami cringed, trying to hide her grinding teeth. She forced herself through the conversation. She spoke slowly, staggering every other word as she searched for what to say. "I'm not sure if it's a romantic attraction or if I have some sort of unhealthy obsession. I can't speak to… this person about it."

"Do you think he has any feelings for you?" her father asked.

"I don't know," she whimpered, tightening up on herself. She leaned forward on the table, resting both elbows and holding her head in her hands. She wanted to say no, or probably not, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe she was just being unrealistically optimistic. She couldn't say no. There had to be a small chance.

Hiroshi reached out with a hand, placing the roughness of his palm against her arm to try and lend comfort. Concern for his daughter showed all throughout his face. "Love is hard when you're young. You can't let it tear you up inside."

Asami sniffled quietly, managing to keep tears at bay. She took a deep breath, calming herself before replying. "I'm worried that I'm only chasing this person because I'm afraid of being alone. And I'm afraid of what would happen if they reject me. And I'm afraid of what others will think of me."

Hiroshi pulled back, sitting up in his chair. "Why would anyone think less of you?" Asami said nothing. She could tell from her father's surveying gaze that he knew she was hiding something. She merely fidgeted in her chair, keeping her eyes off of her father to avoid answering the question. He took it as a sign and moved on. "The only advice I can give you is that you won't be able to get through it if you don't talk about it. I think the only thing left for you to do is discuss it with him."

Asami sniveled quietly, but continued into a heavy sigh. She pushed her feet against the floor, easing the chair back, creating room to stand. "You're right. Thank you."

Hiroshi reached out once more, taking Asami's hand to squeeze it and lend whatever comfort he could. She raised her green eyes to look at him, forcing a smile. He spoke once again, in kind words. "Whatever happens, and however things work out, just remember that I'm very proud of you. I always will be."

Asami squeezed his hand for just a moment before releasing it. She stood up and looked down at her poor father on the other end of the table. Her eyes showed an innate sadness, still having no confidence of the future. "I really hope that's true, Dad," she said in a fragile voice. "I should go."

"Will I see you again soon?" he asked hopefully.

Asami sighed. "I don't know. I'll try." She stepped quietly around the table, approaching him to offer a parting hug. Once the two separated, she stood back, watching him be escorted back out of the room by a guard. She stayed behind until the door closed. Once her father disappeared, she trudged out of the building and back outside to retrieve her bike.

The ride back to the mansion felt lonely and quiet. Despite still being daylight, she felt a lingering black cloud following her through the streets and back to the Sato estate. When she pulled in to stop, she almost couldn't peel herself off the motorcycle. She forced herself down, treading heavily back up the walkway toward the side door.

As she drew closer, she caught sight of a figure seated outside. Close to the benches, posed neatly on the grass. She knew it was Korra, still in the same place, possibly meditating. She drove herself toward the woman, making her way across the grass and coming to a stop at her side. The Avatar was sitting still, her body resting in the lotus position.

Asami lowered her eyes, carefully fending off the rush of feelings. She didn't know if the conversation with her father helped. She still felt conflicted. There was no way she could keep holding everything in, but the prospect of Korra recoiling when she spoke her mind terrified her. And although she worried for her mental and emotional stability, she had to admit that outside of the turmoil twisting inside her chest, she'd experienced more contentment and pure elation in recent days than she could remember ever feeling before. She tightened her fingers together, squeezing the digits of both hands. She cleared her throat. "Korra?"

The Avatar's eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, then relaxed her pose. She stretched one leg outward, bending the other to rest an elbow on. She reclined enough to look up at Asami next to her. Asami hoped she was projecting herself into the spirit world, and therefore unable to be reached. No such luck. She had the woman's attention. "Hey, welcome back." Korra showed off her currently perky mood with a wide smile.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Asami asked timidly. Maybe, if she was lucky, Korra would be busy, and she'd have to postpone the conversation.

Korra shook her head. "Not really, no. Why, what's up?"

She would have to tell Korra how she felt. "Can we talk?"


	12. Chapter 12: The Chase

"Am I interrupting anything?" Asami asked.

Korra shook her head. "Not really, no. Why, what's up?"

"Can we talk?" Asami began shaking almost immediately. A rush of words and sentiments swirled inside her like a tornado. So many things she wanted to say and so many ways to say it. Holding her feelings in for so long was physically painful. She needed to finally get it off her chest, no matter the consequences.

The seated woman tilted her head, looking up at Asami more seriously. Korra seemed to be able to read the worry and concern on her face. She relinquished her relaxed pose, moving into one more suited to addressing the problems of a friend. She tucked her feet in close and rested her hands in her lap. "What do you want to talk about?"

_I'm in love with you_, Asami wanted to say. She needed to say it. But she couldn't spit it out. The pressure in her chest made it impossible to speak; impossible to be open or honest. She stood over Korra with her arms crossed defensively along her stomach. She squeezed tighter and shuffled her feet. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Finally, she managed to sputter a few short words. "I-I went to see my father again."

"Oh," Korra said from below. The sideways expression on her face conveyed that she expected the confession to be much more severe based on the tone of Asami's voice. She raised one eyebrow, then the other. Eventually, she held out a hand, motioning to the spot next to herself, extending an offer for Asami to sit beside her. "Well, tell me about it. How is he doing?"

Asami took the offered seat. She stepped closer and dropped to the ground, pulling her legs in close to her chest. Leaning forward, she laid her arms along her knees in order to get comfortable on the hard ground. "I don't know," she said softly. "He seems so worn-out now. Like all the life's been sucked out of him." Her shoulders slumped as she talked. It became easier to have a conversation, but the actual topic was quickly getting away from her. The tenuous grasp she had on the situation was slipping.

Korra hummed thoughtfully. She returned both hands to her lap and started to rock. At times, Korra had trouble sitting still. When nervous or unsure, she fidgeted. "Maybe you should visit him more often. He might just be hurting for contact. When was the last time you stopped by to see him?"

"It's been a couple weeks," Asami replied sadly. When Korra originally returned to Republic City, Asami admitted she'd broken down and visited her father. At the time, she snapped at Korra when the woman tried to advise caution around him. But the Avatar was right. Asami felt ready to forgive him, but she remained cautious to the point of avoiding him more recently. She couldn't rebuild her trust. It remained hard to look at him, even now.

"Do you think you're past all the things that happened between you two?" The Water Tribe girl's beautiful blue eyes watched Asami very close. She knew she was reading into it, but Korra did appear to care for her very deeply. She wanted to believe that look was a loving one, but those were the naïve fantasies of a hopeless romantic.

Asami shook her head. "No, not entirely, and I may never be. He kept everything from me. And then he wanted me to abandon all my friends for his cause, and just leave everything behind and join Amon. He called Mako terrible things, and expected me to break things off with him. He wanted me to hurt people." She lifted her eyes while trying to bury her face between her knees. Both arms squeezed around her legs more securely. "He wanted me to hurt you. I could never do that."

"Do you believe he's changed?" Support from Korra showed more and more over the course of the conversation. She must have known how sensitive the topic was, and approached it carefully. Korra kept hold of a lingering doubt, to keep Asami from giving her father too much trust. At her heart, Korra clearly just wanted to help Asami. After the last fight over her father, Korra was treading very carefully to try and remain tactful.

"He has changed, I just don't know how much. We just saw things differently. He believed every bender to be his enemy, and he expected me to think the same thing." She stopped to take a slow breath. "I think he realized how much he hurt me, and maybe he's beginning to understand how awful his mindset really was. But those are all things I won't really know until the future."

Korra nodded silently along with every word Asami said. When she finished, the younger girl pushed her legs outward, changing positions to get comfortable. A brief pained expression showed on her face, advertising the discomfort she felt while trying to find a better way to sit. "I think about the future a lot. It can be really frightening sometimes."

"Yes, it can be," Asami breathed shallowly. Creeping doubt set in, being reminded of the possibilities of a frightening future. She shoved the feeling away by changing the subject. "What do you think about?"

A large sigh rose from Korra's parted lips. The Avatar tilted her head back, staring up into the sky. "I usually think about my friends, and the fights I've been through. It's why I want to keep improving myself. All my struggles have been close calls. I almost lost a part of myself each time. I feel like I wasn't _ready_ for any of those battles. And I worry that I never really can be ready for things like that. All I can do is trust my friends, and hope they're there for me when the time comes."

Asami listened to each word. Korra recently made great strides in accepting the assistance of those around her. It was a much-needed change. Deep down, it seemed like Korra always wanted to protect others. She just didn't know how. "I know it's a scary thought," Asami began, "but what do you think would happen if a new threat arose? Something that wanted to throw the world out of balance?"

Korra responded in a solemn voice, her facial expression turning flat. "It's my duty as the Avatar to protect the world, no matter what. Even if I have to lay down my life to do so. I have to do everything in my power to keep everyone safe."

Asami frowned. "There's more to it than that. You don't protect people just because it's your duty. I know you care about others, too." Thoughts and memories of previous encounters sparked in her head. Every emotional outburst from Korra, who sincerely wanted to help those in need.

"I don't know," Korra squeaked. She looked away as her mood grew darker. "Sometimes I feel like that's all I am. Just the Avatar. Some force of nature that's here to fix things and then move on." She squirmed, looking to grow uncomfortable. "Like I'm just some monster."

"You're not a monster," Asami interjected. Her jaw dropped, staring at Korra in disbelief. How could she possibly think that? She wanted to tell Korra she was the most wonderful and remarkable woman on the planet, but no words came out. She could only mewl in protest. "You're not!"

"Maybe," the short-haired girl sighed. "But I really feel that way sometimes. For a while, it scared me. I tried to get away. The Avatar state was frightening. I couldn't use it, and when I did, I just became something dangerous. I wasn't me. Just the Avatar."

Asami squinted as she looked across at the sulking woman. A strong sensation of pain swelled in her stomach. She couldn't imagine how Korra must have felt with so much weight on her shoulders. She pressed onward, trying her best to sound reassuring. "You know, you're more than just a vessel for the Avatar spirit. You're Korra, too. You're an incredible woman with your own hopes, dreams, and wishes. You may be the Avatar, but you're still allowed to be human, too." She waited in silence for a reply. When none came, she picked herself up and scooted closer to Korra, claiming a spot nearer her side. She leaned her weight into the other woman, bumping shoulders. "What do _you_ want? What kind of future do you want to have? As Korra, not the Avatar."

Korra looked to her side, catching Asami's eye. She faked a smile, and even returned the bump of shoulders. She began slowly. "My duties as the Avatar are supposed to come first. But, I have thought a little about what I would like to do with myself."

"What do you want to do with your future?" Asami asked timidly. Her full attention locked on Korra. For the time being, Korra was her entire world.

Korra sat up. She eased her shoulder away from Asami's light touch and raised a hand to her head. She grabbed a handful of hair, rubbing the back of her head while taking on a sheepish grin. "Well, maybe it's kind of dumb," she began to say. She shot Asami a look as if expecting her to chime in or move on, giving her a chance to not complete the thought. Instead, Asami stayed quiet, wanting to hear. Korra cleared her throat and dropped both hands to grasp at her ankles. "Well, I'm probably still too young to worry about this kind of thing, but I'd like to settle down at some point."

Asami clicked her teeth together, struggling to keep quiet. Her eyes grew rounder, and her fingers clenched tight on her shins. While obviously unintentional, Korra seemed to know just what to say to make Asami nervous. She took a breath to speak in a very small voice. "Settle down?"

The Water Tribe girl averted her gaze while her cheeks took on a pinkish hue. She leaned back, seemingly trying to act cool. Korra usually put on a tough face, but through her cracks she had many tender and sensitive moving parts. A softer, more feminine side. "One day, yes. I just remember talking to Katara when I was younger. Whenever she'd mention Aang, she always looked so happy. In her stories, they seemed wonderful together. And it made me realize, even with all of the responsibilities to the world, the Avatar could still find happiness too. I guess it's silly," she concluded.

Asami scooted closer subconsciously. She reached outward with a hand, catching Korra's wrist in her fingertips, inching across the smooth skin. She tightened her grip to hold Korra's hand in her own. At this point, her breathing almost completely stopped. "It's not silly," she whispered. "You deserve to be happy. More than anyone."

The smile Korra returned showed her appreciation, but she didn't immediately cheer up. She turned her hand over to hold Asami's palm. Those blue eyes fell to look at the blend of interwoven fingers. "When I first came to Republic City, I wanted to capture that idea of lasting romance. I fell all over myself trying to find it. I made a fool of myself to Mako, and I guess I came between the two of you, too." Her voice trailed off sadly.

More distance closed between them. Asami scooted closer, tightening her fingers on Korra's hand. She was becoming less aware of her actual positioning, not realizing the apparent closeness. "I'm over Mako. I never really blamed you for that anyway."

Korra shifted her weight, leaning back into Asami's shoulder. Asami jumped at the opportunity to support her, both physically and emotionally. She listened as Korra spoke. "You know, I—" She stopped suddenly, seeming to rewind and consider her words again. "I think I'm afraid of dying. I'm barely twenty-one, and I spent three of those years in a wheelchair. Almost all of my early life was spent being trained by the White Lotus. I've barely ever _done_ anything that I wanted to do. Tenzin tried to hold me back from having a social life, so I had to fight for that. Every major threat I dealt with, especially Zaheer, I feared for my life. I don't want to die never having done anything."

The fragile woman needed support. Asami moved once again, using her unoccupied hand to rub against Korra's back. She curled her fingers, dragging her nails along the other girl's shoulder blades and spine. Asami wanted to reach out to Korra, but she couldn't think of anything to say. The words that drifted from her lips felt hollow. "I don't want you to die, either, Korra."

Korra sighed, closing her eyes. Her back arched a little, consciously moving into the rub of the fingernails against her back. "I will, though, one day. It's all part of the Avatar cycle. I just need to focus on making use of the time I have."

Silence lingered for a long time. Asami began to fret over the idea of Korra not being around, but she tried not to think about it. She tilted her head, looking at the Avatar once her mind cleared enough to resume the conversation. There was one question she wanted to ask. "What are past lives like? What's it like to reincarnate?"

Cracking her eyes open again, Korra refocused on the grass in front of herself. She twisted her lips in consideration. After a moment, she replied in a gloomy voice. "Honestly? I don't know. There's a lot I still don't know. I don't know how much of me is made up of bits and pieces of previous incarnations, if any at all. I'm just my own person. And whoever comes after me will be completely different, too."

"It seems so strange," said Asami gently. "You're not at all Aang. But you are, in a way. I wonder what it's like for Katara or Tenzin." Stopping to think about it just raised more questions. Did Katara see Aang when she looked at Korra?

Blue eyes flashed at Asami. Korra's head lifted, short hair bouncing against her cheeks. "I've definitely thought about that. Sometimes I wonder if certain people look at me based on who I was in a past life. Tenzin has always been very protective of me, and I wonder if that's because he misses Aang." Korra then blinked, her face contorting into an amused expression. She started laughing. "In a weird way, I guess that means I was Tenzin's dad at one point."

Asami twisted her nose and stuck out her tongue. "Eww, I don't want to think about that! Maybe it's better you don't remember much about your past lives." She snickered along with Korra's laughter. "That's both confusing and disturbing."

Korra smiled. "I guess it gets a little blurry when you start trying to connect things like that. In past lives I've been from each of the four nations. Every personality type you could imagine. I've been male and female. Katara said one of my past lives was left-handed." She hummed, then canted her head to one side. "I guess every Avatar _is_ completely different."

"My favorite one is Korra," Asami added. The two exchanged smiles before settling again. After some silence, Asami spoke up. "So, when you pass on, the next Avatar will have access to your memories and experiences, right? In the same way you were able to talk to Aang for advice?"

"I believe that's how it works, yes," mused Korra.

"So all the people you know, everyone you ever spent time with, they all get to live on in those thoughts and memories." Asami caught Korra's eyes, gazing into them. Her tone remained quiet and soft. She had many fears about how to interact with the Avatar, and what might come of that. But distant fears and somber reminders of mortality drifted out of her mind when she focused on the concept of always being with Korra in some way.

Korra looked confused at first, but started to brighten after a few seconds. The smirk of a person who just learned something new showed on her lips. "I guess you're right. And even once the new Avatar takes over, I'll still be there, in a small way."

Asami drew a slow breath while watching the other woman. She felt very close to Korra. Her heart sank, thinking what it might be like to be with her even after they'd both passed on. She felt a warm tingle along her skin, reminded of the happiness she felt she'd been missing. "That sounds nice," she whispered in a dreamy voice.

When Asami began to draw closer, Korra moved as well. She wiggled in place, bending her knees to sit on top of her legs. She tucked them underneath herself, moving into a kneeling position. Asami paused long enough to allow her movement, and then stopped to listen to her speak. "You know, I'm glad you're opening up again. I feel like you've been more distant lately."

"Have I?" Asami asked, surprised. But maybe Korra was right. More recently, Asami tried very hard to keep herself at a safe distance. She didn't want to push, and was afraid of potential backlash. Maybe Korra missed the closeness. "I'm sorry."

A quick smile showed on Korra's face. "It's fine. I just worry about you sometimes. I'm glad to have you to talk to when things are bothering me, so I hope you feel comfortable enough to talk to me, too."

A slow, dull shake started to ripple through Asami's body. She squirmed from the twisting knot in her stomach, trying not to look at Korra. She could feel her confession to Korra slipping out of her fingertips, and it made her muscles tighten. Her fingers and toes clenched. She barely managed a breath. "Korra, I—" Her voice came out weakly, her mouth dry. She struggled hard against her insecurities and the bonds of panic holding her back. "I'm—glad we're such good friends," she finished lamely. Her eyes snapped shut and she screamed inside her head. _Why?_ Why would she say that? An emptiness flooded through her chest, making her shiver from head to toe.

"Me too," Korra said from above. The younger girl loosened her grip, beginning to pull away from Asami. Asami allowed it, having no strength left to fight with. Korra eased away just enough to take a better look at her. "Are you cold?"

Asami realized the extent of her shaking. Not from the cold, of course, but from exasperation and hopelessness. She sat up before Korra, her head drooping and eyes looking sad. "It's a little cold," she muttered.

Strong arms reached out for Asami. At the same time, Asami tightened in on herself and closed her eyes. She didn't deserve the attention or the affection, but she accepted it regardless. She allowed Korra to lean into her and embrace her around the middle. Asami's hands clasped together and folded in her lap. Her entire form leaned into Korra's chest, into her warmth and protection.

She hated herself for it, but she became completely silent in Korra's arms. The quivering slowed and eventually stopped, only to be replaced by a bleak void in the pit of her stomach. Feelings of guilt flooded her mind. She was just using Korra. It was dishonest. She was Korra's friend, lying to her just to feel a fleeting touch. She couldn't keep doing this.

"If you're cold now, it'll be even worse tomorrow. I heard that it's supposed to snow." Korra sounded energetic, maybe even giddy.

"Yeah?" Asami squeaked. She didn't have the heart for conversation.

"I can't wait to see snow again. It'll be like being back home." Korra noticed the awkward silence, looking down at the raven-haired girl in her arms. "Maybe we should go inside."

Asami forced herself to pull away from the hug. Her joints hurt, and her head felt heavy. She lifted a hand, resting it against her forehead, closing her eyes. "Okay, let's go inside."


	13. Chapter 13: Flurry

The Sato estate's yard looked entirely different coated in a layer of white snow. Asami jumped at the opportunity to take a look around, wanting to witness first hand just how the landscape had changed. A leisurely stroll around the mansion showed the dotted trees lining the walkway now covered in soft powder. The paths themselves remained difficult to distinguish from the grass. A mixture of innate memory of their location, and the audio cues of frozen grass crunching underfoot allowed her to approximately mark the way around the buildings. She trudged through ankle-deep snow, humming a quiet tune to herself while enjoying the atmosphere.

Naturally, she stopped to dress the part before braving the frozen outdoors. She actually opted to raid the closet where she kept a selection of Water Tribe clothing for Korra. While the clothes weren't an exact fit, the heavier winter outfits hung loosely enough to make do. Asami wasn't sure of her new blue and white color scheme, but the attire served its purpose. She picked out a warm-looking coat that resembled a dress with long sleeves. White fur lined the wrists, the lower edge of the dress, her waistline, and the entirety of her collar. She also borrowed a pair of furred earmuffs and peculiar matching mittens that left her thumbs and index fingers free with the rest lumped into one. She picked heavier black boots from her own closet to finish the look.

Despite the cold weather, the authentic clothing made the entire experience wholly enjoyable. Asami found herself smiling while making another pass around the mansion, dragging her feet through the snow to intentionally disturb it. While not something she'd want to see year-round, the change in scenery was refreshing. Asami only saw snow every so often, and rarely found the time to appreciate it.

Coming around a corner, Asami caught sight of another figure prancing playfully in the snow. She squinted to get a better look and started to approach. Watching with a smile on her face, she studied the dancing motions. The bouncing form took shape at a closer distance, and Asami came to a stop to admire the child-like behavior of the energetic woman before her. She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

After a rough evening, the Avatar ended up staying the night again. A full night's rest allowed Asami to sleep her troubles away, and she awoke feeling renewed. She snuck out of the mansion early on, leaving behind a snoozing Korra. So it was a surprise to see Korra up and about, and even more surprising to see her manner of dress. Despite the wide selection of South Pole clothing, Korra stood before her in a long beige trenchcoat and a floppy, fuzzy hat. Asami couldn't hold in the laugh anymore; she snickered at the adorable woman.

"You look nice, Korra." Asami found it hard not to stare. She became acutely aware of the way she was pulling on a strand of hair, moving with a quick jump to hide both hands behind her back. She squeezed her fingers together to keep them still. "I don't know if I've ever seen you wear anything that wasn't blue."

Korra returned a wide smirk as she turned to address Asami, placing her hands on her hips with mock indignation. "I don't always wear blue! That's just the default for Water Tribe attire." She gestured toward Asami after taking a close look her from head to toe. "I see you got into my closet. It looks good on you."

Asami laughed. "It's not _your_ closet, it's my closet! It just has clothes I bought for you in it." She started to rock forward and back on the heels of her boots. "But I'm glad you like it. It's keeping me warm. I just can't get used to the mittens." She brought her hands forward, looking down at her palms. She tried to wiggle her fingers.

"Those aren't my favorite either," Korra added with a nod. She turned, walking around Asami and starting down the path she created. The Avatar glanced over her shoulder, apparently expecting Asami to follow. She did.

Asami caught up to Korra, walking beside her while casting a sidelong glance. After a brief silence, she decided to speak up. "So, is the snow everything you hoped it would be?"

"Oh, it's great," Korra replied bouncily. She hopped along the beaten walkway; her pace matched her springy voice. As she moved, she leaned down to scoop a handful of snow off the ground. "It reminds me of home, although there's not near as much of it. But it makes waterbending easy." Korra acted nonchalant while using both hands to pack the powder into the shape of a ball.

Asami smiled at the Avatar's chipper attitude. "If you miss the South Pole, we could always plan a trip there sometime. It would be a nice vacation." Her expression changed when her eyes fell on Korra working with two handfuls of snow. She perked an eyebrow, leaning her weight away from the younger woman. "I, uh—you aren't going to hit me with a snowball, are you?" she asked timidly.

Korra tossed the snowball into the air, catching it again on its way down. Asami's wide eyes followed it, suddenly feeling very anxious. Korra grinned, coming to a stop. She turned to face Asami. "I guess that depends on how fast you are."

Asami backpedaled, her muscles starting to tense in anticipation. She raised both hands to cross her arms in front of her face. "No, wait, no, no—!" she sputtered between a giggle. She turned to run when Korra drew her arm back for a throw. When Korra released the snowball from her fingertips, Asami jerked quickly to the side in an artful spin. She squealed loudly, watching the projectile sail within a short reach of her stomach.

When Korra kneeled to scoop more snow, Asami took the chance to sprint away. A burst of adrenaline let her bolt from the bender. She reached out with one hand to grab a tree in passing. Momentum allowed her to swing around and back into the body of the trunk, narrowly dodging another snowball. After catching her breath, she bent down, starting to collect a pile of snow in order to return fire.

Scooping snow into a tightly-packed ball, Asami leaned into the tree, waiting for an opening. She took slow breaths, counting the amount of time between throws to make sure she could safely retaliate. As soon as the next snowball splattered on the tree, she jumped free of cover, ready to throw. Instead, she stopped, and pouted. "_Korra!_" she half-laughed, half-scolded. "You can't use waterbending to cheat at snowball fights!"

"Yes I can!" the Avatar shouted from behind the giant bunker of snow she'd created for herself. "I'm doing it right now, see?" When Asami wasn't looking, Korra raised a wall twice her own height to hide behind. With Asami standing in the open, Korra took another shot. She leaned around the wall of snow, throwing the next missile.

Asami bounced, unprepared for a fresh attack so quickly. She suspected Korra was using her bending to help create ammo as well. Unable to dive fast enough, she took a harmless hit in the shoulder, ending up splashed with cold powder. She crouched back down in her defensive position, snickering uncontrollably. "That's not fair! What am I supposed to do?"

She resumed waiting, again counting how long between each throw. She closed her eyes to listen to Korra's responses and shuffling sounds, easily able to determine that she was holding her position and always leaned around the same side. Korra yelled back to her. "I'm using my abilities, so why don't you use yours?"

"What abilities?" Asami called out. She stuck her tongue out, setting to work creating the perfect snowball. She was formulating a plan to break the stand-off.

"You know, your brain! Invent something!"

Asami swiftly scooped handfuls of snow, packing the collected mass into a compact sphere. "What am I supposed to invent?" she laughed. "I don't have any materials."

"Make it out of snow!"

"You want me to build a snow-launching weapon… out of snow?" Another attack flew past the tree, signaling Korra's return to retrieve another piece of ammunition. Asami pushed with all the strength in her legs, speeding away from the treetrunk to circle around the other side of Korra's fortification. Holding her breath as she ran, she moved in the Avatar's blind spot, stopping quietly once close enough to touch the wall.

Korra leaned around to deliver her next attack. "Seems like a reasonable request to—" Asami bit her lip to silence herself, able to sense the confusion in Korra's voice. "Where'd you go?" When Korra rocked back behind the snow structure, Asami lunged at her and snatched the floppy hat from her head. Predictably, the Water Tribe girl tilted her head back and up, staring at Asami with a dumbfounded expression. A simple release of fingers dropped the prepared snowball onto Korra's forehead, splattering messily into her hair and face. Korra let out an amusing groan, raising both hands to wipe her face while spitting snow.

Asami crossed her arms, leaning her weight onto one leg. She tucked the stolen hat into the inside of her elbow to protect it. "That's what you get for cheating." She tried to sound assertive, but her words only came across as playful.

"Okay, you got me," Korra admitted. She flopped into a sitting position on the ground, shaking her head and running her hands through her hair to dislodge flakes of frozen water. "But I got you first, so I still won."

Asami dipped forward enough to extend her arm, swatting Korra over the head with the looted hat. "Fine, you won." She smiled, jerking the hat out of Korra's reach when she tried to reclaim it. "But I'm ready to go inside. I'm starting to get cold."

Korra whined. "Aww, really?" She pushed her hands into the snow, forcing herself to sit up and then stand. She stopped long enough to brush herself off. "I wanted to go ice skating next. I haven't done that in forever."

The heiress smiled to herself while walking toward the mansion. The snow did seem to bring out Korra's inner child. Apparently all she wanted to do was play. She flashed her eyes back to the Avatar who was now following her. "It's a bit of a walk to the closest body of water, but all I can offer is to go with you and watch. I don't know how to skate."

"_You don't know how to skate?_" Korra gasped. "How do you not know how to skate?"

Asami stopped at the door, placing her hand on the knob. She tilted her head to look back at the face of the snow-flecked girl. "It doesn't freeze over here very often. I guess I just never felt the need to learn. Or had the time."

Korra leaned past Asami, tugging the door open for her. Again she was full of energy, already in motion and trying to accomplish things. Asami stopped inside the door, watching Korra dance on one leg while pulling the still-buttoned trenchcoat over her head. Her voice came out muffled from the layer of jacket. "I'll show you how. Go pick out some skates from the Water Tribe closet. I'll be at the pool."

Asami started to object, but stopped herself. She didn't want to curb the Avatar's enthusiasm, and practicing with the pool sounded like the best option. She gave a short nod of her head in agreement before breaking away. Removing the coat, mittens, and earmuffs on her way down the hall, Asami made her way into the aforementioned Water Tribe room and exchanged the clothing for a pair of skates. They were intimidating. Suddenly, she didn't feel very confident about the idea. She stared at the metal blades running along the bottom, worried about the possibility of injury. Still, Korra seemed excited about the idea. Asami sat aside her fears and carried the boots back through the mansion.

She made her way to the pool area to join Korra. On arriving, she stepped inside just in time to see Korra preparing the water for use. The Avatar took two steps toward the edge of the pool, stopping in a wide stance. Her top half twisted to one side, with her right arm raising above her head, elbow bent. The other arm crossed in front of her chest with a horizontal swipe. As the hand moved, the liquid in the pool rapidly solidified into a solid block of ice. The ice crept all the way up the lion turtle fountain next to the pool, freezing it it to the mouth until the flow ceased.

Asami approached, smiling lightly while applauding Korra's show. She stepped to the edge, where the ice began, and looked down. "Very nice, but I'm still not sure I want to learn how to skate."

Korra shrugged in Asami's direction. She turned away, leaping into the air, spinning several times like a top. When she hit the ice, she landed on one foot, the other knee bent to keep the toes of her boot from touching the ice. She gracefully glided backward along the ice with her hands held behind her back. Though she wasn't wearing skates, Korra moved as if she was. Either through sheer practice and exposure to icy surfaces, or a waterbending maneuver, Asami didn't know. She simply watched the other woman slide along the surface, making a lap around the pool. "You sure?"

Asami kept her green eyes on Korra, observing as she skated backward around the area. She made it look so easy. Sighing, Asami decided to give in. She sat by the edge of the pool, pulling her boots off to exchange them for skates. Once laced and pulled snug, she pushed both of her legs out onto the ice, giving Korra a lost look, seeking guidance.

The younger woman whizzed by once more, but made another pass, this time coming to a complete stop in front of Asami. She started to move her feet as if walking in place. She planted a shoe firmly, sliding it forward and back. "First you're going to want to move your legs like this against the ice. You need to get a good idea of where the blade's center of balance is so you can practice standing without falling over."

Asami listened carefully and quietly. Like spear fishing, this sounded like an area of expertise in which Korra had intimate knowledge. She nodded along to the directions, then began to look around the room. Her eyes followed the edge of the pool to the lion turtle statue nearby. She could brace herself on that. She stood up, awkwardly making her way to the statue to lean her weight on it. Once confident enough, she reached one leg down, planting the skate's blade on the surface and cutting a line back and forth. "Like this?" she asked, teetering against the statue.

Continuing her instructions, Korra skated across the pool to join Asami. She watched her move one leg after the other, nodding. "That's good. Keep practicing that until you feel ready to stand on both skates. Then you can start by spreading your legs a bit and angling them like this." She moved back to give Asami room to view. She eased into a wider stance, letting Asami see how far apart her legs should be when getting started.

Asami assumed the stance, concentrating closely on replicating the width and pose as much as possible. She kept most of her weight against the statue, but after another minute of testing the balance of the skates, she let go long enough to stand unaided on the ice. She clenched her teeth and wobbled, her arms flailing, but managed to stay up. She sighed with relief, batting her eyes at Korra for the next direction.

"You're pretty good at this," Korra said, encouragement in her voice. She backed away once again and pushed off to demonstrate. "You're going to have to move now, which means letting go of the statue. Until you figure out the balance, move your legs like this." Korra demonstrated, alternating between bringing her feet in close and spreading them out wide. The motion created a simple wave pattern on the ice. "It's to get a good feel for how to move your feet to adjust when they start to wander away from you. So you're able to correct them and stay upright."

Asami observed from her spot, not ready to let go yet. She tried to visualize the motion of the feet in her head. She'd have to push away from the statue and flow, unsurprisingly, like water along the top of the ice. She mimicked the wave pattern while rooted, scooting only a short distance in either direction.

A hop away, Korra skated along the surface of the ice, drifting backward in a show-offy fashion. Sensing the other woman's hesitance, she spoke up. "Give it a shot. Just be careful. If you're going to do any falling, it'll be—" Korra winced. Nearly as soon as Asami pushed herself away from the statue, her ankles wobbled underneath and she crashed into the ice. "—uh, during this part." She did a quick loop to reverse her direction, coming to a stop beside Asami. She bent at the waist, lowering a hand to help lift her.

Asami took the hand. She pulled herself up and stood, now closer to the middle of the pool. Left with only Korra to lean on, she realized just how rooted and solid the Water Tribe girl's stance felt. Possibly another bending trick. She tried again, pushing away from Korra. This time, her feet continued to drift out from underneath her until she toppled backward, landing on her bottom.

Korra swept in to rescue her again. She helped her to stand, then nodded to send her on her way again. Asami tried again and again. Each attempt felt like immeasurable progress, but after two dozen or so tries she managed a consistent three seconds of uptime. She caught a sheepish smile on the Avatar's face. "Yeah, this is the hard part. It'll take a while to get used to this."

"It's okay," Asami said swiftly, trying to skate and talk at the same time. She wobbled, but remained upright. "I think I'm getting the hang of—" Her feet drifted out from underneath her again. She slipped, falling onto her back with a painful smack. She sat up with a groan. A glance down at her hand showed what she thought was blood. Though it made her heart jump, she soon realized it was only smeared lipstick. She sighed with relief as much as exhaustion, looking up at Korra. "This is hard," she pouted. "Can we take a break? My butt hurts, and I'm smudging my makeup."

Korra laughed. "Do you need to reapply?" she teased. She leaned down to take Asami's hands, pulling her to the side of the pool. Asami climbed out and started unlacing the skates. Korra hopped out of the pool and landed neatly beside her. She then turned her attention back to the block of ice, holding out one arm and lowering her palm toward the ground. The thick ice melted all at once, shifting back into a liquid state and settling. The statue resumed spitting water.

"That, or take it off," Asami mused. She tugged both skates off, wiggling her sock-covered toes once free. She stood, stretching to unwind some of the joints she injured by falling repeatedly on the ice.

Korra watched from close by, her arms raised to rest behind her head in a relaxed pose. "I've never been any good at girly stuff like that. How do you do makeup so well?" Korra sounded genuinely interested.

Asami shrugged. "It's just practice like anything else." She hopped in place before turning to address the shorter woman. "Just like ice skating, but less painful. I can show you if you want." It would be a nice and soothing way to unwind, Asami thought.

Korra hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know. I'd probably look stupid." She turned her eyes away, sulking.

Asami pushed back a bit, not wanting to stifle a sincere curiosity. "Why don't I put some on you, and if you like it, I can teach you," she offered.

"I guess that's okay," Korra mumbled from the side of her mouth.

Asami beamed energetically, turning to leave the pool area. She cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure Korra followed. Working her way through the hallways and back to her room, she led the charming girl behind her. Upon arrival, she piled her boots and the skates in a corner, then motioned for Korra to do the same. She pulled away, gesturing for Korra to sit on the bed while she moved to retrieve various tools and utensils from a nearby countertop. A simple collection with a nice makeup kit and several brushes.

When she turned back around, Korra had seated herself near the center of the bed. She sat in the lotus position, hands folded in her lap. Her curious blue eyes followed Asami all around the room. "What are you going to try putting on me?" she asked. She sounded almost worried.

Asami crawled over the bed, dropping a collection of small boxes on the sheets between them. She kneeled in front of Korra, sorting over the different options. "A couple things. I think we can start with something simple to smooth out your face, and maybe some shading over your eyes." She picked up several different brushes while talking, checking each one in turn. Her green eyes then flashed upward, examining Korra more closely.

"My face isn't already smooth?" Korra asked, wounded.

Asami chuckled. "It can always be more smooth. I use the same thing. Relax." She leaned in closer, her eyes darting around Korra's cheeks and face. She was now hovering very near the other woman, taking an assessment of her darker skin tone. She used a brush to dab several different colors, applying small strokes to Korra's cheek, one after another, until finding one she liked. "That one looks right," she said mostly to herself. She rubbed the excess off with her thumb. The process made Korra wrinkle her nose and then squint.

When Asami set the brushes aside and picked up a small container, Korra's attention locked on to it. "What's that?" Korra was examining everything Asami touched.

"This is sort of like a base for the actual stuff," Asami replied matter-of-factly. She ran her thumb through the substance, then lifted both hands to cup Korra's face. She pushed firmly with both thumbs, working the first layer across her skin. She worked with a slow massaging motion, her fingers rotating in small circles. Korra made faces, squinting and twisting her lips to one side or the other, but Asami worked cheerfully around her protests. She didn't have to apply much — Korra's face was already smooth and soft. She trickled fingertips along her temples, and traced her jaw line down to her chin. Having spent much of the day around ice and snow, Korra's skin gave off a welcoming warmth.

Asami turned away to reach for a brush to go with the pre-selected shade. She dusted the tip, then leaned into Korra again. She sat very close, watching the slow blinks of the fetching blue eyes in front of her. She held the woman's cheek in one hand while applying short brush strokes, painting on a matching color. She realized she was breathing slower, her concentration starting to drift away from the task and to Korra herself. She was beautiful, a fact which had nothing to do with any makeup. She lowered the brush back into its container, speaking in a low, hushed voice. "What color do you want for your eyes?" she whispered.

"Blue," Korra whispered back.

The edge of Asami's lip curled. She felt the urge to smile, or to giggle and point out how Korra always fell back on blue. But she didn't. She looked down, picking up a separate tool with a soft tip and pairing it with a nice, subtle arctic shade. She lifted her hand to Korra's face, touching her cheekbone with her palm, the hand held close. "Close your eyes," she said softly. When Korra did so, she began to slowly apply the color along her eyelids. Korra's eyes flickered under the mild pressure, but stayed shut. Asami carefully worked over one and then the other before dropping the tool back into the small box.

Her eyes returned to Korra's face. Both hands raised, gliding across her cheeks to hold the woman in her palms. She watched Korra for a long time, drinking in the relaxed state of calm. She started to admire her workmanship, but her attention easily wavered, focusing on the Avatar instead.

Their slow rate of breathing was synced, and she felt a strong sensation of closeness with the other woman. Her fingers tingled when a shiver ran through her body. The extended silence prompted Korra to open her gorgeous blue eyes, though only partway, until their gazes met. Asami fixated on them, unable to look away. She blinked slowly, feeling a warm pressure against her stomach accompanied by a sinking sensation. She felt Korra pulling closer, unsure of which of them was actually moving. Her heart pounded hard in her throat while heat swelled around her face. Her breath halted. The smallest of whimpers rose from Asami's parted lips as distance gradually closed until their noses touched. Until she could feel Korra's gentle exhale against her lips.

Then, they kissed.

The touch was experimental at first, almost innocent. She told herself that the subtle, subconscious sway of their close bodies could have brought them together if only for a moment. But the fleeting brush of Asami's lips against Korra's was soon followed by another. Asami drew in a sharp gasp between contact, and she froze when their lips met again. A chill ran down her spine. Her entire body shuddered, eyes closing and breath shaking. It felt incredible.

Both girls were still, other than the faint shaking of their delicate frames. Asami couldn't move and couldn't think. She didn't know how long the contact lasted. Long enough for her head to start spinning. Long enough to realize what she was doing. What _they_ were doing. She focused on Korra; her softness, her femininity, the intense desire she felt for the woman. Every fiber in her body concentrated on this one simple task, this one unbelievable kiss. It made her tremble, igniting a pleasant burning sensation in her chest.

Their lips separated with an audible click. Though only apart for an instant, a powerful surge of emotions flooded through Asami. Days, weeks, and months of hidden feelings for Korra bubbled to the surface. Her fingertips curled, interweaving into short brown hair to hold the other woman. She pulled herself closer, reclaiming Korra's lips with a stronger, more sincere kiss. She could feel the Avatar's tensed muscles easing under her fingers. Her heart racing. Her skin growing goosebumps. The hint of pressure against her lips. A tender moan escaped Asami, excitement and passion driving her onward. Urging her to embrace her feelings and celebrate them.

Asami's eyelids cracked open when she felt a soft nudge. Fingertips against her collar pushed ever so slightly. She withdrew from the kiss, her lungs filling with air as if for the first time. Through ragged breaths, she directed her attention forward, focusing her green eyes on the woman before her. The words drummed heavily in her ears, whispered from those warm, inviting lips. "Asami. Wait."

Asami's teeth clenched as she recoiled from the stinging words. _Korra was rejecting her_. She jerked her head away from Korra, her eyes tightening shut to hold back the water that began to form. Her hands pulled away, one clutching the center of her chest where the sudden pain was most severe. The tormented feeling of Korra pushing her away drove her straight to panic. She intended to run. Trying to leap from her spot, she collided with the box of makeup, sending it flying from the bed. It clattered loudly across the ground. Powders, brushes, creams, and other cosmetics spilled along the floor in all directions. As she stood, a strong hand caught her wrist, stopping her. Her head snapped to look at the woman squeezing her wrist, on the verge of tears.

Korra's watery blue eyes gazed upwardly at Asami with a heavy sorrow. She loosened her hold, raising the hand to rest upon her face in an attempt to hide herself from the world. She breathed quickly, her words coming out in short, skittish bursts. "Asami, I-I'm sorry. I like you. I really do. I'm just—I'm so nervous. A-and scared. Please. Don't leave."

Asami released the breath choking her. Shivering from the swirl of mixed emotions, she began to relax onto the edge of the bed, sitting back down. She didn't want to run anywhere. She only wanted to be here, with Korra. And offer her comfort. She leaned closer, cupping the Water Tribe girl's face in her palm to console her. "I know you're scared," she said in an unusually steady voice. "So am I. Believe me, I know." _Oh, how she knew!_

"I'm sorry," Korra whimpered. The Avatar was shaking worse than Asami now. She was especially vulnerable, prompting Asami to drift closer again. When she moved near, Korra's arms coiled around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. "I don't know what to do. I've never felt like this before."

"Neither have I," Asami replied, gently. She maintained the hug, though tilted her head back enough to gaze into those wonderful blue eyes. She flashed a reassuring smile, lightly resting her forehead against Korra's. "But I don't want to stop feeling it. I… like this."

Korra bit her lip, unable to respond. She blinked slowly, looking into Asami's eyes. Instead, she spoke through motions. Fingers drifted over Asami's shoulders and twisted into her hair. Both hands wove their way through raven locks, combing through her curls. The simple interaction brought both of them momentary peace. Asami started to close her eyes to enjoy the relaxing touch, though left them open just a slit.

Her lips parted to allow a contented sigh. Another chilling shiver ran through her, this one much more pleasant. She melted into the intimate contact with the other woman. The loving caress through her hair. The slight tug, welcoming Asami into her lap. She obliged, coiling herself against Korra. "You're all I've been able to think about lately," she murmured. "And the three years we were apart, I missed you so much it hurt."

"I'm so sorry." Korra's eyes were fighting back tears. Sadness or happiness, Asami didn't know. But she skimmed her thumbs under Korra's eyes, wiping all of it away. "The thought of coming back and seeing you once I was whole again was the only thing keeping me sane throughout all the nightmares and hopeless nights." She tilted her head, bumping Asami's nose with her own.

Asami spoke again. The words came out sincerely, speaking from the heart. There was one thing she needed to get off her chest. "I wanted to be there for you. Why did you have to leave me?" She felt a lump in her throat as she awaited the answer.

"I thought I needed to figure things out on my own," Korra responded meekly. The Avatar had put a lot of thought into the next few words. "I… thought I couldn't face my friends, or my problems, until I recovered. But I was wrong. I needed support. I needed _you_, Asami." She stopped to take a slow breath. "You've always been there for me, and taken care of me. It's taken me until very recently to realize it."

Asami stared intently at Korra, her eyes wide as she listened to her answer. She could barely find her voice, but she wanted to know. "When—?"

Korra sighed heavily, her head shaking. She was clearly ashamed of her actions. "After our fight, I—when I saw you again, I just wanted to make up. I liked having you close to me again. And I really… really just wanted you to be there." Korra closed her eyes, placing a hand on her face with a sad expression. "When you came back, and we talked about your dad. I thought maybe you were going to say—" Korra's voice grew quiet, and she stopped.

"I was," Asami squeaked in a tiny voice. She was shaking terribly, realizing the missed connection. How close she was to saying it at that time, and how Korra was apparently hoping she would. If only she knew. "But I was scared. I thought you might push me away. I didn't want to lose you."

Korra withdrew her hand from her face, looking back up at the nonbender before her. "I'm sorry we fought. I know… I hurt you. And I'm sorry for that too. But I won't leave you again. I promise." Korra was apologizing so much, and yet Asami felt she had nothing to be sorry for. Everything was already forgiven, and she only wanted to move forward.

Asami eased her weight into Korra, settling fully into the Avatar's lap. She wrapped both arms around her shoulders to hold her tight. Korra teetered from the movement. Asami offered a hopeful smile, leaning closer. She felt an intense, familiar burning in the middle of her chest. Embracing it, she parted her lips slowly to speak. "Korra — I love you," she managed, her voice shaking.

Korra returned the smile. Her head tilted, raising to again bring their lips together. A swift peck, just enough to suggest more. Asami accepted it. She then moved, her arms loosening to ease her fingertips back onto Korra's shoulders. She gave a gentle push to topple the other girl. Both of them fell onto the bed with an animated flop. Korra landed on her back with Asami in her arms. Asami bent one knee, kicking her toes into the air. She held the Avatar close. And they kissed.


	14. Chapter 14: Asami Sato and Avatar Korra

Asami gradually opened her eyes, her vision a blur as she stared into a nearby pillow. She blinked several times before starting to sit up in her bed. Slowly, she stretched her limbs out in front of herself, feeling every lasting piece of tension and soreness being drawn from her body. Her legs coiled inward, tucking close to her form while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She felt well-rested. Though she couldn't remember them, she was having pleasant dreams. Something nice, about Korra perhaps? She cupped a hand over her mouth to hide a yawn. At the same time, her other arm reached to the side to pull the blankets away, colliding with something solid.

She turned her head, laying eyes on the shape in the bed. She jumped in momentary panic and surprise, eyes stretching wide open, hand clapping over her mouth to silence a gasp.

_Korra_. In her drowsy state, she entirely forgot there was someone else there with her. Her hand fell from her mouth to her chest, resting atop a rapidly-beating heart. A slow exhale allowed her to stave off the rush of adrenaline. Her head turned to address the woman beside her, and she began to welcome the warm memories of the previous day. She smiled to herself.

Korra was tucked neatly beneath thin bedsheets, sleeping on her side. The look on her face was calm and peaceful. Asami reached down, letting her fingers hover just above Korra's dozing form. She paused long enough to remember the last time she found herself in this same position, too fearful to actually touch her. But she no longer had any reason to be afraid. Her hand fell, gently caressing Korra's cheek. Asami's eyes followed every visible curve of the woman, watching her slow breathing. She appreciated every contour and every detail. The warm, inviting sensation the contact gave her. The contrast of her much lighter skin against Korra's darker tone. The adorable way Korra slept with her lips slightly parted. Asami's fingers drifted along her skin and into her short hair.

The touch, however soft, inevitably roused the younger woman from her dreams. While Asami's fingertips combed through the brown locks, Korra began to stir. Her eyelids flickered and she uttered a quiet, tired moan. She turned in place, rolling to find the source of the contact. Gorgeous blue eyes blinked upward at Asami, and she spoke in a hushed, languid voice. "Hey."

"Hey there, sleepy-head," Asami murmured back. She realized she was smiling widely. She felt a fluttery sensation in her stomach, sending tingles through her body from the emerging excitement she was experiencing. "Did you sleep okay?"

Korra started to fidget, prompting Asami to remove her hand. The Water Tribe girl slowly pushed away from the sheets and sat up. She arched her spine to work the kinks out of it while rubbing at the corners of her eyes. "Amazing," she said simply. "I didn't wake up once."

"I'm glad," Asami said gently. She scooted closer to Korra, circling her until behind her. Both hands elevated, coming to rest on Korra's bare shoulders. She started to rub there, then moved farther inward, pinching the stiffer part of her neck. She settled into a relaxed massage, brushing Korra's modest clothing aside to have full access to her back and shoulders. Korra was wearing little more than a white tank top, though Asami herself had barely managed to slip into a gown the night before.

When Asami set to work, Korra arched her back and dipped her head forward. Her short hair bounced, collecting around her cheeks. All the muscles in her body tensed and then started to relax. She twitched and leaned into the grip of fingers and the pressure of thumbs against her back. A slow, relaxed sigh escaped her before she spoke again. "Ooh, what'd I do to deserve this?"

"Nothing," Asami replied, a soft hum in her voice. She continued to rub Korra's shoulders. Though not having any masseuse training, she experimentally applied pressure to different areas, allowing Korra's quiet moans to guide her. She worked until her fingers began to grow sore, after which she looped both arms around Korra's waist, laying against her back.

Korra stretched once Asami stopped the massage. She leaned her weight into Asami, turning her head. With Asami's head resting on Korra's shoulder, the other woman adjusted enough to press their cheeks together. They relaxed in silence for a time before Korra flowed into a new topic. "You smell nice. Like flowers."

Asami's drowsy eyes blinked at the commentary. She wiggled, squeezing Korra tighter with both hands. "Do I?" she asked rhetorically. "It's probably my perfume."

Korra nodded, their cheeks rubbing. "I've always liked it."

Asami smiled. "I'll make sure to keep using it, then." She relaxed again as the conversation died down. She held Korra in her arms, cuddled comfortably against her back. Asami felt a hint of awkwardness in the air. More than just the receding sleepiness, both girls seemed unsure of what to say next. There was a mutual, quiet acknowledgement of the night's events. An understanding that things had changed, with neither knowing precisely how to begin.

Korra broke the ice. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Asami replied. "I'd like to take a shower first, though."

Korra raised a hand, reaching up to rest it on Asami's cheek. Asami sighed from the touch of Korra's delicate palm. She leaned into the contact, letting Korra's digits ease along her face and stop just under her eyes. She welcomed any show of intimacy from the other woman. She still felt faintly insecure, a lingering doubt after the unbelievable encounter the night before. Korra smiled at her, reassuringly. "Go do that. I'll make us something."

"Thank you," Asami whispered. She peeled herself away, turning to plant a kiss on the kind woman's cheek. She shifted her weight from the bed and stepped to the floor. A few paces took her to the nearby closet where she selected a new robe, disinterested in picking out or putting on any real clothes just yet. Before stepping into the hallway, she stopped to exchange smiles with Korra.

Left alone, Asami made her way through the mansion and to the nearest washroom. She dropped the new robe on the nearby counter space, then approached the shower to begin the flow of water. While waiting, she undressed, letting her mind wander to thoughts of Korra. She felt a much more pleasant tingle in her stomach now, no longer feeling the sore ache of confusion or the fear of rejection. She began to smile, imagining the lovely woman being in her arms. She stepped into the shower and began to wash off.

Under the flow of warm water, Asami allowed a shiver to work its way through her body and be released. She leaned to one side, resting her shoulder and head against the wall. She closed her eyes in deep thought. She was thankful, of course, that things worked out as well as they did. So many built-up trepidations over what could have been. The actual confession went nothing like she expected. It was spontaneous and unscripted. She wanted to sit and talk through her feelings for Korra in a logical way. Instead, she lost control of herself, leaning into Korra and kissing her at a moment of vulnerability.

The casual reminder of their kiss made Asami's heart swell with exhilaration. While she always felt an emotional attachment to Korra, she wavered in her confidence that any physical attraction existed between them. She was hesitant at first, but she accepted that she was enticed by Korra and found her alluring. Korra was beautiful and strong. She was feminine, caring, and compassionate. Everything about the woman made her freeze up and become light-headed. And her _eyes!_ Asami simply couldn't deny her attraction. She was drawn to Korra in every possible way. She loved her.

And, most of all, Korra was hers. Asami's breath picked up faster when the thought crossed her mind. She began to squirm in place. _Korra was hers_. She had thrown herself at the woman, and Korra accepted her. More than just acknowledgement or understanding. Korra opened up and drew her closer with loving arms. The two held each other, and kissed, and were now starting to explore their new relationship together. The overwhelming bliss of being with Korra made Asami bounce on her feet. Giddiness surged through her body, making her squeal excitedly. She quickly blushed, pressing both hands against her cheeks while trying to force herself to calm down. "Okay, Asami," she breathed, "pull it together." She bit her lip to contain a wide, overjoyed grin.

After catching her breath, she stepped free of the shower and quickly dried off, changing into the clean nightgown. She further stalled herself by stopping to brush her teeth and hair, giving her heart time to settle. Once more relaxed, she exhaled heavily and set out to find Korra.

She wandered first to the kitchen, finding it empty. Though she could smell the remnants of food preparation, and see discarded cookware, Korra was nowhere to be found. She wandered near the window and door to check if she was outside. She leaned her weight from one bare foot to the other, looking as far out into the snowy terrain as possible, but saw no one. Humming to herself, she turned and made her way back to her room.

Upon entering the bedroom, she saw Korra perched neatly in the bed, still wearing the minimal attire from the previous night. Korra was holding a bowl of soup in brown broth, blowing on it. A second bowl sat on the nightstand next to the bed with two pair of chopsticks resting along the top. Though slightly confused, Asami tiptoed across the room and slinked in behind Korra. She coiled both arms around her middle, leaning in for a kiss to the side of her neck. "What're you doing in here?" she asked, curious.

Korra arched subtly into the embrace and the kiss. She returned a smile, and tilted her head enough to issue as much of a hug as she could with her hands occupied. She adjusted her position to hold the bowl, waving a hand over the top of it. "About halfway through preparing something to eat, I realized I didn't want your servants to see me walking around in my underwear."

Asami grinned with amusement. She pulled away, turning to sit down with Korra on the bed. Korra thoughtfully handed her the bowl in her hands, and Asami accepted it with a short nod of her head. Asami lifted the bowl to try and identify the ingredients with her nose. Once Korra retrieved the second bowl and offered one of the pair of chopsticks, Asami continued the conversation. "They're used to it by now. I wouldn't worry about it." For an instant, she realized she no longer cared what the housekeepers might think of this new relationship, even though she doubted they'd actually look down on her for it.

She watched as Korra's eyes turned to address the soup. Korra used her chopsticks to pinch and lift green seaweed noodles from the broth, a typical ingredient in Water Tribe cuisine; quick and easy to prepare, and something Korra seemed to greatly enjoy. After noisily slurping the noodles, she looked back up to meet Asami's eyes. "Still. And some peace and quiet with just the two of us sounded nice."

Asami flashed her a smile, liking the sound of her suggestion. "You're sweet." She then looked to the food herself. She picked through a few seaweed noodles to find the other ingredients. Small bits of chopped meat of different kinds. Some looked like fish, while others she wasn't so sure. "What all did you put in this?" she asked curiously.

"Shome schtuff I found," Korra answered with a mouthful of noodles. Asami rolled her eyes at Korra's amusing lack of manners. Korra's style of cooking tended to be more haphazard than a standard recipe. She no doubt plucked anything she could find from the cold storage and included it. Most likely a Water Tribe custom to use whatever was available.

Asami took a few experimental bites, then began to eat normally. The second flavor ended up being pork, and while the dish lacked any additional spices, the simple ingredients worked well enough together. It tasted similar to the type of food she enjoyed on previous trips to the South Pole. After swallowing a mouthful of seaweed noodles, she nodded in Korra's direction. "This is good, thank you."

Korra stopped eating long enough to flash a sideways grin, appreciative of the compliment. She took another bite, making sure to swallow before speaking this time. "I'm glad you like it. I was thinking about what you said yesterday."

Asami paused for a moment. She squinted, trying to remember what they might have discussed. There were a number of topics covered, and none immediately came to mind. "What did I say yesterday?"

The short-haired girl swirled her chopsticks in the air, pointing at Asami with them. "You were saying we should take a vacation and visit the South Pole. Maybe once winter ends, we can go and enjoy a bit more snow and some real Water Tribe grub."

Asami beamed, remembering the conversation. She originally passed it off as a casual suggestion, not realizing Korra even remembered her saying it. Korra spent nearly all of her time in Republic City, and Asami thought she might enjoy a trip back home. "I'd love to go," she began. Her expression slowly changed, however, as her thoughts wandered. She slumped her shoulders, looking back at Korra. "Do you think your parents would…"

Korra shrugged dismissively. She took another bite of food, then tilted the bowl to drink the remaining broth. After setting the empty bowl aside, she turned back around and sat in front of Asami with hands in her lap. "My parents tried a lot of different things with me. They tried keeping me under lock and key with the White Lotus, they tried letting me be the Avatar, and they tried to give me a normal life. And they hid a lot of things from me. The more they wanted to control my life, the more out of hand it got. I think by now they just want me to be happy."

Asami lowered her mostly-empty bowl into her lap. She leaned forward, closing the distance between herself and Korra. Korra took the silent cue and leaned in to meet her. They touched noses, rubbing them affectionately in lieu of a kiss. "I'm sure you're right, sweetie."

"Sweetie?" Korra immediately asked, starting to giggle.

Asami blushed red, dipping her head and turning her eyes away. "Sorry, it just slipped out. I used to call Mako that, didn't I?" She suddenly felt very awkward. She reflected briefly on what she might call Korra. Sweetie, darling, honey, dear? Would Korra like any of those? Or was it too early to worry about coming up with an endearing pet name? Maybe it was best to let one develop naturally instead of trying to force it.

"No, no, sweetie is fine," Korra assured her. Asami felt momentary relief, until Korra decided to tease. "As long as I can call you… Sifu Girlfriend."

Asami turned a brighter red, blushing furiously at the comment. She sat up and pulled the bowl of soup back, pretending to ready herself to throw it at Korra. Korra squeaked with laughter, holding both hands up to defend herself. Asami relaxed her pose again and brought the bowl forward to hand gently to Korra. She took it without protest, putting it aside with the other. Once Korra turned back around, Asami waggled a finger in front of the woman's nose. "Don't you _dare_ call me that in front of other people," she said with a snicker.

Korra grinned in reply. "Yes, ma'am."

With both of their laps now unoccupied, Asami pulled away and turned around. She spun in place, leaning down to lay upon the bed, resting her head in Korra's lap. Korra accepted her happily, placing both hands in her hair when she reclined. She started to brush and comb through the raven-black strands. Asami folded her hands against her stomach and closed her eyes to enjoy the touch. She felt safe, cuddled into Korra's lap while the fingers pet through her dark tresses. And she was all the more comforted knowing that Korra genuinely cared for her. She began to let her mind drift off into nothingness, just enjoying the quiet moment.

"I love you, too," Korra suddenly said, in a low whisper.

Asami opened her eyes, glancing at the woman above her. She traced the lines over Korra's face, examining her somewhat perplexed expression. Korra looked flustered, and a tad shy. She focused on the Water Tribe girl, furrowing her brow. "Hmm?"

Korra turned her eyes away, her cheeks a faint red. She was trying to retain her composure, but nervousness made her bashful. Asami found it charming. "Last night, you said it, but I didn't say it back. So… I'm saying it now."

Asami curled her lips into a smirk. Korra's adorable awkwardness made her seem much more sincere. Korra put genuine effort into expressing her feelings. "You're cute." Asami fidgeted, raising one hand to capture both of Korra's wrists. She pulled them down to her face, starting to lightly kiss at the other woman's fingertips. She applied small pecks, drifting from one digit to the next before turning the hands over and peppering her knuckles with kisses. "I still can't believe you're real. That this is real — you and I."

"I know," Korra replied breathlessly. Her eyes blinked slowly and she looked away. She appeared contemplative.

Asami continued to kiss at Korra's hands for a few more seconds, but eventually stopped to gaze up at her. Korra's eyes were unfocused, staring off into space. Asami tightened her grip on Korra's hand, squeezing it enough to get her attention. "What are you thinking about?" she asked in a dreamy voice.

Korra blinked. She turned her head, looking down at Asami in her lap. She slowly came out of her daydream, collecting her thoughts. "I don't know." She moved to recline, pulling her hands away from Asami's grasp. She leaned her weight back onto both arms. "I just thought, I've never had a girlfriend before. What do we do now?"

Asami clicked her teeth together, containing a brief tingle of excitement. _Korra really was her girlfriend_. When the warm glow subsided, she focused on the rest of the comment. She tilted her head, but stopped to ponder the question. She pushed her strength downward, moving to sit up and speak with Korra more directly. Once sitting, she turned around and pulled her feet closer to tuck under her legs. She moved close to Korra, looking into the blue eyes she adored so much. "Whatever you want to do."

Korra offered a weak smile, apparently somewhat unsure. But she seemed to appreciate Asami's confidence. She pressed her lips together in thought, eventually returning Asami's gaze with a playful smirk. "I liked the kissing part."

Asami giggled quietly at the response. She lowered her eyelids, easing closer to Korra on her knees. She lifted one hand, touching the other woman's warm face. Her thumb traced along the edge of her jawline, following it up and into her hair. Her other hand soon joined it, both lacing fingers into the short brown locks. Asami caught one more glance at those lovely blue eyes before she lowered her lids. She leaned in, kissing Korra tenderly upon the lips.

The first touch of lips sent an electric signal through Asami. Her skin began to tingle, and she felt a swirl of butterflies in her stomach. The kiss felt very different than the first time. The pressure was much more intentional, with less shaking on both sides. Asami could feel all of Korra's warmth and the softness of her lips. Korra's breathing hastened, and this time, she was the one to gasp. Korra broke the kiss at brief intervals, inhaling before Asami could reclaim her lips. Gentle moans from Korra ignited a growing desire within Asami.

Asami felt a faint tremble from the woman in her arms. Her eyes opened partway and she peeled herself away from the kiss. She watched, realizing Korra was merely wobbling unsteadily on her arms. Her elbows bent and she fell into the bed, blinking up at Asami above. Watching Korra lay back, Asami began to move. She bent her knees, crawling over Korra as if on the prowl. She slowly and carefully relocated, straddling the other woman's hips before leaning down to meet her again.

They kissed once more, Korra already breathless. When Korra separated her lips to inhale, Asami did the same. Cautiously, Asami slipped her tongue past her lips, barely skimming the edges of Korra's mouth. She felt the other woman stiffen below her in response. Korra placed a hand on the small of Asami's back, with the other drifting up into her long hair, brushing it aside. The embrace grew deeper, Asami tilting her head to bring them closer. Asami coaxed Korra's tongue out of hiding, catching it with her own. A soft lick directed Korra through slow motions; a gentle, swirling dance just past the Avatar's lips. When Asami retreated to take a breath, Korra eagerly followed. Asami caught Korra's tongue between her lips, caressing it carefully with her own for a few fleeting seconds, until the kiss finally concluded with a loud click of lips.

Asami pulled away, batting her eyes to reopen them. She sat up atop Korra, lifting both hands and drifting them through her dark hair. She pulled the wavy mess of hair back, away from her face. Korra's hands were now on Asami's hips, holding her in the new sitting position. When she glanced down at the woman below her, she smirked to herself, seeing a panting Korra looking up at her with rosey cheeks. Korra took several long moments to catch her breath. After some effort, she finally articulated what she wanted to say. "Yeah, I definitely like that part."

Asami rolled her eyes, pretending to sigh with exasperation, though she couldn't hide her smile. She returned her gaze to the Water Tribe girl she was perched on. She felt an overwhelming surge of happiness and contentment through the center of her chest. She lowered her eyelids to consider Korra. The gorgeous woman she felt everything for. She reared back, raising her hands with fingers curled playfully in Korra's direction. In response to Korra's quip, she managed a mischievous, "Hush." And then she pounced, met by Korra's excited squeal.

* * *

><p><strong>At this point I wanted to sincerely thank everyone involved with this story, especially the readers. This was an incredible experience for me and I'm glad to be able to share it. Apologies to anyone who expected the fic to keep going or wants more, but like the original Avatar and LoK itself, I wanted to draw the narrative to a close. This is the story I wanted to tell, and I hope it satisfies whatever you may have been looking for. I love reading reviews and feedback, especially because this subject is very personal for me, so again please refer anyone you know who might enjoy it. Thank you all again!<strong>


End file.
